Diversity and inclusion at work should never be simplified down to just ticking a box. It should be about bringing up unity as a team, supporting each other at all levels, and working constructively by embracing different views, experiences, and journeys.

However, in the UK, people from ethnic minority backgrounds hold fewer career opportunities than their white counterparts. According to the ONS’s latest statistics on labour market status, people of minority ethnicity (7.1%) are exposed to a higher risk of unemployment compared to the white population (3.1%) in Jan-Mar 2022. The gap is even wider in the women employees’ data, where white women are 12.8% more likely to get employed than women from all other ethnic groups.

In CIPD’s 'Race and Inclusion Report', respondents from ethnic minority groups also expressed a struggle to progress at work, with only 51% of them being satisfied with their career progression. The key reasons identified in the report are – lack of support from line management at key points during their careers (36%), overlooking of their skills and talent (38%), and exclusion from the “in group” at work (32%).

Join the Third Annual Race Inclusion and Diversity in the Workplace Conference 2023 to hear the latest policies and best-case studies on overcoming barriers in building a diverse and inclusive workplace for all communities. The event will highlight key topics including transparency in workplace, inclusive leadership mindset, EDI in modern hybrid working, promoting intersectionality at work, data-driven measurement in EDI, and driving cultural changes.