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Diversity training ‘forces workers to hide beliefs’ for fear of losing job
Almost two-thirds of staff who undergo diversity training at work say they have had to conceal what they really thought for fear of losing their job, according to a survey by the Free Speech Union.
Nearly a quarter say they have been compelled to say things they don’t believe after attending the courses.
Members of the minority communities, where the schemes are meant to benefit, were more likely to find the training conflicted with their views, the survey of 800 employees found.
One person surveyed, a white woman in her late 50s, said: “I think everyone is too scared to speak about topics like this any more and certainly free speech doesn’t exist in my company.”
It comes after Kemi Badenoch told the Telegraph that Britain’s diversity push had been “counterproductive” and that many equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives are “snake oil”.
Cancel culture
The Free Speech Union was set up by journalist Toby Young to oppose cancel culture.
Tom Harris, Director of Data and Impact at the group, said: “We knew already from our casework that EDI training has been suppressing free speech in the workplace, but even we were shocked to discover the extent of the self-censorship going on – 62 per cent of the employees who go on the training have had to conceal what they really think.
“Authoritarian EDI training has become a fiscal drag on the bottom lines of British business. While millions of pounds continue to be spent on these courses, our research demonstrates that the most ambitious employees are leaving companies because of it and, ironically, the training conflicts most with the values held by the minority groups it purports to benefit.”
The employees spoken to by the pollsters attended courses on white privilege, microaggressions, decolonisation, pronoun declarations and gender identity.
They did
The poll found that 45 per cent believed their EDI training conflicted with their personal, religious or political views.
The proportion was higher among ethnic minorities and religious groups, and men were more likely to say this than women.
More than a third (36 per cent) said they had witnessed staff being penalised in some way by their current employer because they challenged the training, including 12 per cent who witnessed staff being fired for doing so.
The media and communications sectors were the most likely to penalise their employees.
The survey found that 31 per cent had left a former employer because of their endorsement of “woke” ideology.
The proportion is much higher among minority groups: 43 per cent for black people, 46 per cent for Asian people and 46 for gay people.
Nine per cent said they had such a negative view of the training that they might have to leave the employer who has insisted on it.
‘Class disparity’
More than half of employees who had gone through EDI training said their organisation was seeking accreditation from a charity, such as the Race at Work Charter or the Stonewall Diversity Champion.
A white man in his early 40s who was surveyed said: “It’s dead wrong, anti-human, racist and ignorant. Bring back meritocracy and get EDI in the bin, it makes it so much worse.”
An Asian woman in her late 30s said: “I think employers are largely reactive to social circumstances. George Floyd was a big instigator.
“Employers also need to include class disparity as working-class white people are overlooked. There are various degrees of privilege; it’s not just black and white.”
A black man in his early 40s said: “I don’t think employers should force views and different ways of thinking on people. Everyone is entitled to an opinion and who decides what is right and wrong?”
The Free Speech Union conducted a survey of employees working either full-time or part-time in the UK in January. The sample was designed to be representative of the UK working population by age, industry, geography and employer size.
The 800 people who qualified for the survey had been through at least one type of EDI training with an existing or former employer.
Diversity training ‘forces workers to hide beliefs’ for fear of losing job
Almost two-thirds of staff who undergo diversity training at work say they have had to conceal what they really thought for fear of losing their job, according to a survey by the Free Speech Union.
Nearly a quarter say they have been compelled to say things they don’t believe after attending the courses.
Members of the minority communities, where the schemes are meant to benefit, were more likely to find the training conflicted with their views, the survey of 800 employees found.
One person surveyed, a white woman in her late 50s, said: “I think everyone is too scared to speak about topics like this any more and certainly free speech doesn’t exist in my company.”
It comes after Kemi Badenoch told the Telegraph that Britain’s diversity push had been “counterproductive” and that many equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives are “snake oil”.
Cancel culture
The Free Speech Union was set up by journalist Toby Young to oppose cancel culture.
Tom Harris, Director of Data and Impact at the group, said: “We knew already from our casework that EDI training has been suppressing free speech in the workplace, but even we were shocked to discover the extent of the self-censorship going on – 62 per cent of the employees who go on the training have had to conceal what they really think.
“Authoritarian EDI training has become a fiscal drag on the bottom lines of British business. While millions of pounds continue to be spent on these courses, our research demonstrates that the most ambitious employees are leaving companies because of it and, ironically, the training conflicts most with the values held by the minority groups it purports to benefit.”
The employees spoken to by the pollsters attended courses on white privilege, microaggressions, decolonisation, pronoun declarations and gender identity.
They did
The poll found that 45 per cent believed their EDI training conflicted with their personal, religious or political views.
The proportion was higher among ethnic minorities and religious groups, and men were more likely to say this than women.
More than a third (36 per cent) said they had witnessed staff being penalised in some way by their current employer because they challenged the training, including 12 per cent who witnessed staff being fired for doing so.
The media and communications sectors were the most likely to penalise their employees.
The survey found that 31 per cent had left a former employer because of their endorsement of “woke” ideology.
The proportion is much higher among minority groups: 43 per cent for black people, 46 per cent for Asian people and 46 for gay people.
Nine per cent said they had such a negative view of the training that they might have to leave the employer who has insisted on it.
‘Class disparity’
More than half of employees who had gone through EDI training said their organisation was seeking accreditation from a charity, such as the Race at Work Charter or the Stonewall Diversity Champion.
A white man in his early 40s who was surveyed said: “It’s dead wrong, anti-human, racist and ignorant. Bring back meritocracy and get EDI in the bin, it makes it so much worse.”
An Asian woman in her late 30s said: “I think employers are largely reactive to social circumstances. George Floyd was a big instigator.
“Employers also need to include class disparity as working-class white people are overlooked. There are various degrees of privilege; it’s not just black and white.”
A black man in his early 40s said: “I don’t think employers should force views and different ways of thinking on people. Everyone is entitled to an opinion and who decides what is right and wrong?”
The Free Speech Union conducted a survey of employees working either full-time or part-time in the UK in January. The sample was designed to be representative of the UK working population by age, industry, geography and employer size.
The 800 people who qualified for the survey had been through at least one type of EDI training with an existing or former employer.
