More than ever Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Equity in the workplace is a growing agenda but just because you have an ED&I lead, or consultant, or perhaps you have a third-party intervention who are delivering EDI training, does not mean that the workplace is authentic about wanting a long lasting change.

This article is not about the companies who aren’t doing anything but rather about the companies who claim to be doing lots, for example during their bidding phase of wanting to win more contracts, or marketing themselves as being a diverse company to work for, through professional looking pictures on their website of minorities, when in fact they are still a very much homogenous organisation.

So why is there very little movement from some workplaces that claim to be working towards being more Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Equity (ED&I) conscious, but lack fundamental evidence to back up these claims?

Working towards ED&I is subjective; facts often speak louder than words. You may have a cultural calendar, but your senior management team is predominately white and male. You may have retrained the recruitment department in attempts to attract a diverse workforce, but fail to address underlying issues as to why there is a high turnover amongst minorities in the workplace. You may have Employee Resource Groups, but most of the members do not actually understand what ED&I actually means.

When it comes to creating a positive, effective cultural change in your workplace, following a tick box exercise is simply not going to cut it. Challenging the status quo (to the point of allowing everyone to feel uncomfortable if necessary) and ensuring everyone in the workplace is actively involved in working towards ED&I, is more important and holding everyone accountable just as crucial.

How one could hold the workplace to account depends on the size of the company, whether it’s a local, national or global company and how affluent the company is.

Some ways anyone and everyone can hold the company accountable:

• If words do not match actions, avoid. Most people do not have the luxury to choose where they want to work, but if possible, do research the workplace culture before starting a new role and understand whether they are a diverse workplace or, for example, are just rainbow washing. If so, state reasons why you don’t wish to work there.
• Speak out: if you see injustice in the workplace, make a complaint and if not dealt with appropriately, write online reviews and be frank. After all, reputation matters.
• Withdraw stocks and shares: if you are investing in companies that do not have an open policy, do not share pay reviews on their websites and are not transparent about their goals and achievements in being equal, diverse, inclusive and equitable, then withdraw your investment and invest where leaders are ensuring they hold themselves accountable.
• Raise your expectation from your customers and clients: are your stakeholders authentic about their ED&I goals? There will always be organisations that are doing better than others. Working towards equality, diversity, inclusion and equity doesn’t have to break the bank, so this is no excuse!

Those who work within the ED&I space acknowledge how important this sector is, some executives and CEOs come to understand the importance of it and slowly but surely more and more people are coming to understand that ED&I effects them on a daily basis. Fortunately, new legislation and rules will catch up eventually. For example, from June 2026, companies with over 250 employees will be required to ensure: at least 40% of non-executive director posts are held by the “under-represented sex” (normally women). That at least 33% of all board director roles – including non-executive directors and executive directors, such as CEOs and COOs – are held by women. The proposed legislation comes with tough penalties for non-compliance, including fines and annulments of board appointments.

It won’t always be easy to stick with ED&I goals and strategies; using a moral compass isn’t the simplest part of running a business. However, it is becoming mandatory and is reaching the point where not making those long-term changes will jeopardise the future of businesses.  Finding a suitable ED&I agenda, that is authentic and tangible, will allow companies to stay true to their values and will secure long-term advantages.

 

This article was written for the Diversity Trust by Khesha Patel. Khesha has worked on various aspects of furthering Equality, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the workplace, including policy making and currently provides Business Support for trainers. You can reach her at Instagram.