UK Lawmakers Urged To Pass New Bill Protecting DEI Whistleblowers
UK lawmakers are being urged to pass legislation that would protect whistleblowers who expose employers violating DEI laws, as reported by The Guardian. The proposal was made by the Black Equity Organisation (BEO), a civil rights group, as it awaits the publication of the Equality, Race and Disability Bill, which is expected later this year.
If the bill comes into effect, employers with over 250 staff workers would be obligated to show whether white and non-disabled staff are paid more than Black, minority ethnic, and disabled employees. It would also create an equal pay regulatory and enforcement unit to reduce pay discrimination.
Protecting DEI whistleblowers
Jummy Okoya, associate professor of leadership and inclusive practices at the University of East London, told People Management that protecting whistleblowers was essential for creating “truly inclusive institutions.”
“Their voices often uncover hidden discrimination and exclusion, especially affecting already marginalised groups. Without protection, people are less likely to come forward, allowing inequity to persist.”
In addition to asking larger companies to disclose their ethnicity and disability pay gaps, the BEO is also requesting that smaller companies with more than 50 staff members submit pay gap reports. Doing this would help lower-paid workers in smaller companies, according to the BEO.
The Trade Union Congress (TUC), a national trade union in the UK, supported this idea in its own consultation submission, stating” If the legislation is to be effective … it needs to apply to the majority of workplaces.”
DEI in the UK
This proposed bill comes at a time when DEI practices have been discouraged in the US, spearheaded by executive orders issued by President Donald Trump.
Tech workers union Prospect is asking UK lawmakers to examine the diversity efforts of US multinational companies operating in the UK to ensure they comply with UK regulations and values.
However, References to DEI on annual reports of The Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 companies in the UK have declined, according to The Observer. Mentions of DEI, as well as the number of pages containing the phrase and revisions on it, fell by more than 16% compared to the annual reports for 85 companies in 2023 and 2024.
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