More than a third of UK (36%) of HR decision‑makers in the UK say they have faced resistance or pushback towards equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives in their organisations over the past year, according to new research published today (30 August 2026).
Polling by YouGov, commissioned by national employment charity Working Chance, surveyed 565 HR decision‑makers and found that the trend away from EDI is on the increase. These findings corroborate research by law firm Freeths carried out in October 2025, where 28% of UK chief legal officers said their organisations had made wholesale changes to initiatives including EDI and environmental sustainability, or abandoned them altogether, in response to US criticisms of the so-called ‘woke agenda’.
Working Chance specialises in helping women with convictions to find employment, and the charity is concerned that pushback against EDI will damage inclusive hiring practices. Working Chance Chief Executive Natasha Finlayson said: ‘If this trend continues, then access to work is likely to become increasingly difficult for people who already face significant barriers to employment, including those with criminal convictions.’
Natasha Finlayson‘If this trend continues, then access to work is likely to become increasingly difficult for people who already face significant barriers to employment, including those with criminal convictions.’
Chief Executive, Working Chance
One in four adults of working age in the UK has a conviction, but the research also revealed that more than half (58%) of HR leaders do not feel confident about recruiting and supporting people with convictions into their workforces.
Working Chance warns that scaling back inclusive hiring efforts risks entrenching social exclusion and undermining the government’s efforts to reduce reoffending. Evidence consistently shows that stable employment is one of the most effective ways of preventing people from returning to the criminal justice system.
“When done well, inclusive hiring is not only good for individuals and their families, but also for businesses, communities and the economy,” Working Chance chief executive Natasha Finlayson said. “Excluding large sections of the population from work has long‑term social and economic costs. It would be incredibly counter-productive for UK businesses to let the volatile political climate and the temptation to save money through cutting EDI initiatives undo progress on reducing reoffending. Giving people a chance to turn their lives around and become contributing, valued members of society makes sense on so many levels.”
Against this backdrop, HR leaders, employers and inclusion specialists will gather at the Ministry of Justice on 30 April for a conference focused on inclusive hiring for people with convictions. The conference, organised by Working Chance, aims to address what the charity describes as a “confidence gap” among employers.
The conference will bring together senior HR professionals, employers and people with lived experience of the criminal justice system to examine common concerns around risk, disclosure, DBS checks and workplace integration. Organisers say misconceptions and lack of guidance remain major barriers preventing employers from widening access to roles.
Natasha Finlayson said many employers wanted to recruit more inclusively but lack confidence about how to do so. “We hear from employers all the time who are motivated to open up opportunities but feel uncertain about how,” she said. The charity will be launching guidance for employers at the 30 April conference.
Working Chance said inclusive employment was particularly critical for women with convictions, who are less likely to find employment after prison than men. “When women thrive, families thrive. Communities thrive. The economy thrives,” Finlayson said. “Inclusive hiring isn’t charity. It’s good governance – and good business.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
- Working Chance is the only UK charity dedicated to supporting women with convictions into employment. To learn more, go to www.workingchance.org
- Working Chance collaborates with employers across sectors and policymakers to improve access to employment.
Summary of Working Chance findings
- 36% of HR decision-makers have experienced resistance against EDI initiatives in their organisation in the last 12 months
- Only 42% of HR decision-makers feel fairly or very confident in hiring people with convictions to their organisation
- Key barriers to bringing people with convictions into organisations are concerns about risk (51%), reputational concerns (47%), and issues around DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks, eg. application or interpretation challenges (36%).
- Over 12.6 million people in the UK have a criminal record.
- Employment is the strongest protective factor against reoffending (MoJ evidence).
- Reoffending costs the UK economy approximately £18–£23 billion annually.
- Around 86% of employers who hire people with convictions say they are good at their job. (CIPD).
- Around 92% of employers say diverse recruitment enhances reputation and contract competitiveness (DEI reports).
- Employers frequently report higher retention and loyalty in high-churn sectors.
- The majority of women in prison are non-violent offenders, and a high proportion are mothers. (MoJ).
- Many women with convictions have experienced trauma, domestic abuse or poverty (MoJ and Prison Reform Trust data).
- Women are less likely to reoffend than men yet face greater barriers to employment.
For interviews or further information, contact: Lizzy Jewell, Head of Communications and Engagement, Working Chance - lizzy@workingchance.org