Ahead of October’s Black History Month, Glassdoor today publishes the UK’s top 25 companies for diversity and inclusion, according to those who know best – the employees. But while some employers are committed to equality, a new Glassdoor survey has found black employees are being impacted by the ethnicity pay gap and their workplace experience is not equal to their non-black co-workers.
TRANSPARENCY NEEDED TO CLOSE THE WIDENING ETHNICITY PAY GAP
Glassdoor’s survey of 2,000 full-time workers revealed that more than 2 in 5 black employees (43 percent) have personally experienced a pay gap because of their ethnicity or think this pay inequality exists in their current workplace. In contrast, over half (57 percent) of white workers think there is no ethnicity gap at their company.
The majority of black workers (66 percent) think their employer needs to do more to close the ethnicity pay gap within their company. But among white workers this figure reduces to just 40 percent. And with black professionals holding less than 2 percent of the UK’s management and leadership positions, there is little room at the top of companies to advocate for change.
Furthermore, over 1 in 2 black workers (51 percent) think the ethnicity pay gap has widened in the last 2 years. In comparison, 29 percent of white employees believe the same. So what should companies do to close the ethnicity pay gap? Almost six in ten black employees (57 percent) believe the solution would be to increase pay transparency.
COMPANIES GETTING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION RIGHT
The list of the top 25 UK companies for diversity and inclusion was compiled by the Glassdoor Economic Research team. Economists analysed more than 290,000 reviews by UK-based employees who each shared anonymous feedback and ratings on their employer’s approach to diversity and inclusion.
Biotech and pharmaceutical company European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) was ranked number 1 on the list by employees. Headquartered in Cambridge, the company specialises in biology data. EBI is a member of the Equality in Science Programme and is committed to creating and sustaining a culture in which diversity is celebrated and all are treated equally.
The top 10 UK companies for diversity and inclusion are:
- European Bioinformatics Institute (4.9 Glassdoor Diversity & Inclusion rating out of 5)
- Zscaler (4.7)
- The Good Care Group (4.7)
- Policy Expert (4.7)
- Waterman Aspen (4.7)
- Revolent (4.7)
- Medidata Solutions (4.7)
- Autodesk (4.7)
- Faire (4.6)
- Tapi Carpets & Floors (4.6)
Eleven industries feature on the list; tech is the most represented sector, with 12 companies. The complete list of 25 companies is here.
Talking about the research, Glassdoor economist Lauren Thomas says: “Diversity and inclusion have been increasingly prioritised by employers in the last two years. And our list showcases a wide range of companies from multiple industries whose employees feel valued and included.
“However, it is clear that more still needs to be done before equality can be achieved in the workplace. Increased transparency around diversity and inclusion isn’t easy, but it is a powerful way to highlight progress and incentivise accountability. And while mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting is still in discussion, many companies, including Glassdoor, are voluntarily publishing their diversity and inclusion reports. Ultimately, company investments in diversity and inclusion efforts are both a social good and a critical part of a company’s workforce management strategy—a particularly salient consideration at a time when finding and retaining talent is so difficult.”
