Despite diversity and inclusion (D&I) remaining high on the agenda for HR teams in 2022, 40% of firms have no intention of reporting their ethnicity pay gap data, revealed a new report. Shockingly, even more companies have no intention of externally disclosing data on age or disability either, which raises serious questions over how committed companies really are about stamping out inequality in the workplace.
Although D&I is ranked as the third highest priority behind attracting and retaining talent, leadership plans to externally report on D&I progress do not match this intent, according to research carried out by HR DataHub. Its Outlook 2022 survey showed that only 16% of companies have published their ethnicity pay gap externally; with a further 3% to follow by the end of 2021. Worryingly, 40% of companies admitted they have no intention to report it.
As expected, data on gender is the D&I characteristic that most companies commonly reported, and 76% have already disclosed this data externally. This is, perhaps, expected because companies with over 250 employees have to report it under law. Yet 13% of respondents said they have no intention to report on this now or anytime in the next two years, noted the report.
AGE & DISABILITY DISCLOSURE OVERLOOKED
The research also showed that just 9% of companies disclose data on age externally. Despite all companies having easy access to this information, more than two-thirds (67%) said they have no intention to report on this either.
HR DataHub’s report suggests that disability is the most overlooked D&I characteristic. Only 7% of companies said they have already reported their data externally and alarmingly, 54% have no intention to report on this. The average disclosure rate for disability is just 25%. Given this is the largest representative group in the workplace, the data would suggest that very few companies actively engage with their colleagues to collect data on visible and non-visible impairments. The average disclosure rate for ethnicity amongst the companies questioned is 48%, for LGBTQ+ it is 25% and for socioeconomic it is 7%.
LACK OF DIVERSITY & INCLUSION DATA
“The lack of intention from companies to report their D&I data externally is a worry, though we suspect that this could be as many just simply don’t have the data. Having a clear D&I strategy that is underpinned by data is no longer a nice to have – in 2022 it will be business imperative,” stated David Whitfield, Co-Founder & CEO, HR DataHub. “One thing that’s clear from our survey is that leadership execs will need to genuinely upskill their understanding of D&I data; not only from an identification and collection point of view, but through interrogating and leveraging that data to ensure they are making meaningful change.”
Ethnicity Pay Gap Day will return on 8 January 2022 in a bid to create fairer workplaces; and garner more support to close the Ethnicity Pay Gap. Click here to find out more.
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