December 2025
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This conference examined next steps for addressing ethnic disparities in the workplace.
It was an opportunity to discuss priorities for the Draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill - expected to be introduced in this session of Parliament - and as the Employment Rights Bill continues progressing, with the Government recently confirming plans for phased implementation beginning later in 2025 and announcing two consultations regarding family rights and trade union processes.
The discussion brought stakeholders and policymakers together to examine key developments in national policy, regulation and organisational practice. Areas for consideration included legal duties on pay reporting, action plans, and data transparency, as well as the way forward for improving representation, workplace fairness, and inclusion.
Employer obligations & reporting
The agenda included discussion on priorities following the Government’s consultation on introducing mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting for businesses with more than 250 employees as part of measures in the forthcoming Draft Equality Bill.
Attendees considered issues around the potential impact of proposed obligations on larger employers - with potential requirements for transparency, data use, and enforcement - and the role of regulatory mechanisms, such as the proposed Equal Pay Regulatory and Enforcement Unit.
Best practice & international examples
Sessions brought out the latest thinking on best practice for recruitment, retention, and progression - particularly at senior levels - alongside strategies for addressing barriers, such as bias in hiring, lack of transparency in promotion, and the combined effects of racial and other forms of disadvantage, including intersectional inequalities. Areas for discussion included the role and progress so far of employer-led initiatives - including the Race at Work Charter - in shaping workplace practice, improving progression pathways, and embedding inclusive leadership, as well as priorities for addressing dual-discrimination in recruitment and progression systems.
We expected delegates to draw on international developments in assessing the way forward, including the potential influence of shifts in priorities for diversity, equity and inclusion in the United States raising questions around long-term approaches, sector-specific challenges, and employer confidence in inclusive workplace strategies.
Governance & leadership
The use of action plans and employer guidance as mechanisms to strengthen accountability and foster inclusive workplace cultures were considered, alongside challenges in capability, cost, and compliance for organisations of different sizes.
Further sessions looked at national policy direction and leadership structures, including priorities for the Race Equality Engagement Group and the proposed Office for Equality and Opportunity in engaging with lived experience when developing national policy and ensuring consistency across reform efforts.
Delegates also discussed long-standing structural issues, such as underrepresentation in leadership, the impact of outsourcing on pay equity, and how institutions and employers engage with staff to improve disclosure and delivery.
All delegates were able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those who attended include officials from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; Department for Work and Pensions; Department for Business and Trade; HM Prison and Probation Service; Home Office; the Welsh Government; and The Scottish Government.
