As we enter a new year, the world of work is also entering a new era, shaped by ongoing global, political, cultural and legislative shifts. For HR and DEI leaders, this means remaining agile enough to flex to an ever-changing workplace.
Those who anticipate and effectively adapt to change will reap the rewards. However, organisations that fail to evolve with the times will simply be left behind.
Looking ahead, FAIRER Consulting sees several trends that are expected to shape fairness and inclusion at work in 2026 and beyond.
A CIPD report found that 21% of leaders are not committed to having a diverse workforce, and 17% are not committed to having an inclusive workforce. These are the organisations that will remain stagnant.
Businesses that commit to DEI strategies are better equipped to navigate legal, reputational and social risks. As a result, fairness becomes part of a long-term culture-change strategy that strengthens the employee value proposition (EVP), rather than existing as a tick-box exercise.
As MD of FAIRER Dan Robertson explains: “Too often DEI is positioned as a ‘corrective measure’. The psychology of this is that something ‘bad’ needs to be fixed, and the DEI army of social warriors are here to help. This creates an ‘us’ and ‘them’ negative dynamic from the start.”
To avoid this, companies need to move away from tick-box DEI training sessions that employees are mandated to attend when something goes wrong. Leaders must instead thread fairness throughout the organisational fabric, embedding inclusion across all parts of the business and all stages of the employee lifecycle.
The UK Government’s 2023 ‘Inclusion at Work Panel’ highlighted the need for more evidence-based tools, more support for employers to drive fairness, and called for organisations to enrol in the Inclusion Confident Scheme. In fact, the UK Government is currently preparing to mandate ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting to drive visibility and help reduce disparities.
Other recent legislative changes, such as the UK Supreme Court ruling on the definition of Sex in April 2025, the Worker Protection (Amendment to Equality Act 2010) Act’s strengthening of the duties on employers to prevent sexual harassment in October 2024, and upcoming changes expected as a result of the Employment Rights Bill are all adding layers of additional reporting, and new requirements and responsibilities for organisations.
Legal mandates provide a starting framework for organisations. They help define expected behaviour, provide better protection and drive accountability. As a result, fairness becomes a shared goal and expectation across the board. However, many businesses are getting ahead of these changes and implementing pay gap reporting before it becomes mandatory. By having visibility of the potential gaps sooner, they have a head start on introducing strategies to close them.
When it comes to DEI, only following the legal mandates is the bare minimum. Those truly committed – and those who have the strongest EVPs, candidate attraction and retention – go beyond the minimum.
Is fairness truly universal? Fairness is often misunderstood as giving ‘special treatment’ when, in fact, it is about levelling the playing field. Furthermore, what is considered ‘fair’ is often subjective and shaped by local norms, values, and context, especially within global organisations.
To add, legislation varies by location, so what happens when a company’s or individual’s sense of fairness conflicts with local customs or expectations?
For example, a UK subsidiary may align with parent company values but must also comply with the Equality Act 2010. UK companies are mandated to disclose diversity data – such as gender and ethnicity – whereas other international subsidiaries might not have these mandates. In fact, countries such as France, Austria, and Belgium forbid the collection of race and ethnicity data.
Political backlash against DEI adds another layer of complexity. Influenced by figures like Donald Trump and other prominent U.S. business moguls, some companies are rebranding DEI using less politicised language. Terms such as ‘culture’, ‘wellbeing’, ‘inclusive leadership’, or ‘belonging’ are increasingly used to mirror local sentiment and avoid controversy.
Ultimately, companies must decide which values are most important to them. If fairness remains a core value, organisations must find ways to stay aligned with their ‘north star’.
For many, this means relabelling DEI in a way that resonates across different cultural and political contexts. While it’s not always possible to have a universal approach to fairness, businesses can still act with honesty, explain decisions, tailor their approaches to local markets, and ensure that company-wide and global initiatives are executed with respect.
While organisations often encourage employees to ‘bring their authentic selves to work’, it is not always clear what ‘authenticity’ means in practice, presenting a challenge when employees behave unfavourably.
If employees choose to only show a certain part of themselves at work, is that because they are being inauthentic or because they don’t feel comfortable enough to show more?
Promoting psychological safety is key to encouraging employees to be their authentic selves. Leaders must model by example, showing vulnerability by sharing their own experiences, demonstrating empathy and creating safe and judgement-free spaces for open dialogue.
While promoting authenticity at work is important, it should never become an excuse for disrespectful behaviour. Managers should set clear expectations around behaviour and professionalism, ensuring that psychological safety does not mean a lack of boundaries.
The key remains in striking a balance where employees feel safe to express themselves within a context of mutual respect – where individuality is celebrated, but disruptive actions are appropriately addressed.
A report from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) found that 82% of managers ‘become managers by accident’, having received no formal management or leadership training. Research from the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics shows that quality of management can affect performance by up to 30%.
Additionally, the CMI estimates that poor management costs UK businesses a staggering £84 billion every year. Supporting the case, Harvard Business Review found that inclusive organisations are 73% more likely to drive innovation, up to 50% more likely to make better decisions, and up to 36% more likely to outperform financially.
Closing this skills gap means developing core capabilities such as empathy, psychological safety and conscious inclusion – qualities that are critical for navigating complex work environments. Without these skills, organisations risk losing trust, talent and diverse employees.
Our inclusive leadership training is designed to empower leaders with the tools and confidence to model these qualities, and provide safe spaces to ensure every voice is heard and respected.
In a survey of 4,000 UK and US employees, one-third of respondents quit their jobs because their employers made insufficient efforts to address environmental or societal challenges. Furthermore, a HiBoB survey found that 43% of respondents would reject a job offer if the company’s political stance opposed their own.
Company values are important to employees, with 92% of people believing businesses should speak up on societal issues.
Despite this belief, 80% of respondents to Race Equality Matters’ recent poll said their organisations remained silent about the recent anti-immigration protests. Corporate silence is a choice and can suggest complicity. Leaders must speak up and let the organisation’s stance be known. If businesses can’t speak out verbally, they should remember that actions speak volumes too.
Reflecting on these changing expectations, FAIRER’s Barry Boffy explains: “Employees increasingly want to know that the organisation they work for has a moral voice and is committed to tackling social inequalities and injustices. Perpetuating a need to maintain ‘organisational neutrality’ is no longer an acceptable position for an employer to take, even in the face of increasingly complex, polarising or divisive beliefs, values or events on the world stage.”
Barry goes on to say, “Leaders rightly worry about being asked to take a stance on what can sometimes be contentious or deeply divisive issues, and this can often mean a protracted period of time where information is gathered, legal and compliance teams are engaged and debate takes place.
“However, that can sometimes result in days, weeks or even months of silence whilst the organisation’s official response is carefully crafted. This period of silence is much more likely to be interpreted by employees as a lack of interest or that the organisation is ignorant to the issue or even an uncaring employer. As such, it’s vital that leaders acknowledge inequalities and injustices wherever they exist, even if they may not have an immediate answer or solution to the problem.”
As organisations adapt to an evolving workplace, fairness and inclusion must become the foundations of the business strategy. The businesses that succeed will be those that thread DEI into everyday culture, plan for upcoming legislation, invest in inclusive leadership skills, and respond appropriately to societal issues.
Key takeaways:
Turn the above insights into meaningful action and make 2026 a year full of intentional and positive change.
Register for our webinar, Key DEI trends to watch in 2026, to take a further look into what’s set to shape the future of inclusion. Learn how to create a cultural-change DEI strategy with long-term goals and actions tailored to your organisation.
Alternatively, upskill your leaders with inclusive leadership training, designed to close the skills gap and promote an inclusive culture from the top down.
Not sure where to begin? Get in touch for a complimentary one-to-one consultation and we’ll help you map a clear path forward.