Despite what is happening across the pond right now, in recent years, equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the UK has transitioned from being a “good intention” to a necessary strategy in the workplace. Employers in every sector are under pressure from their employees, candidates, clients and regulators to build workplaces that are fair, representative and inclusive.

It is fair to say there has been real progress. However, there is still an uneven, fragile, and in some places stalling to implement change. Below, we explore where the UK stands today across gender, sexual orientation, disability and neurodiversity, and why policy, economics, recruitment and communications all play a part in closing the gaps.

Gender: gains at the margins, gaps at the top

The UK’s gender pay gap is shrinking, but it’s still painfully slow. As of April 2024, the median pay gap across all employees was 13.1%, down from 14.2% a year earlier. For full-time staff, it sat at 7.0%. This means women are still paid significantly less than men overall, and the disparity is most visible in senior, higher-paid roles.

Many organisations now publish their pay gap data and use it as a driver for action, but sectoral differences remain stark. In finance, tech and professional services, women are still underrepresented at leadership level, where pay and influence are concentrated. It is here that glass ceilings, rather than entry-level barriers, continue to do the most damage.

Sexual orientation: visibility, but not always safety

LGBTQ+ inclusion has advanced in terms of policies, networks and visibility. Large employers frequently showcase allyship training, inclusive benefits and trans-supportive workplace guidelines. Yet behind this progress sits a sobering reality: 39% of LGBTQ+ employees still feel they have to hide who they are at work.

This moral issue is having palpable business consequences: if people feel unable to be authentic at work, they are less engaged, less likely to stay, and less able to thrive. For client-facing sectors such as communications, where confidence and authenticity are professional assets, this represents a major untapped opportunity.

Disability: a persistent participation gap

One of the starkest divides in UK employment is the disability employment gap. As of autumn 2024, the employment rate for disabled people was 54.4%, compared to 81.9% for non-disabled people. That’s a gap of nearly 28 percentage points, and it has barely shifted in years.

Too often, disabled candidates make it through the door only to be underemployed, overlooked for promotion, or worn down by the difficulty of securing reasonable adjustments. This is despite a clear policy framework, such as the Equality Act 2010 and public-sector equality duties, and growing social pressure. The challenge isn’t awareness but follow-through.

Neurodiversity: a growing conversation, not yet matched by systems

Estimates suggest that 15–20% of the population is neurodiverse (for example, living with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia etc) which in theory means one in five of colleagues may think and process differently. In practice, most organisational processes - from recruitment to performance management - are built for those described as “neurotypical”. The result is missed talent, and this is the single biggest barrier to entry to the workplace for so many.

Neurodiverse people often bring exceptional skills in creativity, analysis and problem-solving but without supportive environments (such as flexible interview formats, sensory-friendly workspaces, or line managers trained in neuroinclusive practice, employees don’t feel they can thrive, and retention then becomes low. Encouragingly, many businesses are beginning to pilot “neurodiversity at work” programmes, but so far they remain the exception rather than the rule.

From the policy, public affairs, comms and economics lens

• Policy: The Equality Act and gender pay gap reporting obligations have made transparency non-negotiable for large employers, but still there remains a huge disparity between male colleagues and their different gender counterparts – shockingly so given it’s 2025. Clearly more needs to be done.
  Political debates around welfare reform and disability benefits shape how disabled people engage with the labour market. Public procurement requirements are starting to put pressure on suppliers to demonstrate inclusion credentials.
• Economics: Labour-market conditions matter. In a buoyant labour market, employers are more motivated to create and open access to underrepresented groups to fulfil requirements. In tighter situations, however, diversity hiring is often the first casualty, as managers revert to “safe” choices, hiring for cultural fit rather than cultural add. This not only reduces a talent pool, but also overlooks perfectly capable and credible candidates.
• Public affairs and comms: For organisations in communications and lobbying roles, EDI is a reputational issue. Any gap between the story told externally and the reality inside the organisation risks credibility with clients, regulators and the media.

What employers can do:

1. Rethink recruitment: anonymised CV screening, structured interviews, and flexible assessment formats reduce bias. Work with your internal and/or external hiring support to ensure unbiased terms in adverts, and barriers with applications and interviews are removed or at least reduced.

We have a helpful resource on our website for this: 5 Practical Tips for Inclusive Recruitment

1. Guarantee adjustment pathways: make it easy for candidates and staff to request what they need - and respond quickly to show understanding.
2. Publish role-level data: pay gaps by department and seniority reveal more than broad company averages.
3. Invest in manager training: managers, not HR, shape employees’ day-to-day experience.
4. Protect staff from client/customer abuse: especially important for public-facing roles in PR, comms and public affairs.
5. Align words with deeds: external messaging about inclusion must be backed by internal reality.