Americans Report Progress on Workplace Racism, But a Long Way to Go Finds Reputation Leaders

NEW YORK, Nov. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Many Americans report that their employer has made progress in 2020 on workplace diversity, inclusion, and racism, according to a survey recently conducted by Reputation Leaders.

A survey of 1000 U.S. adults nationally found that nearly half (46%) of U.S. workers think their employer has made progress on diversity & inclusion in the last year. 37% of U.S. workers say employers have acted or committed to acting to address racism.

However, not all workers or employers are convinced, with a quarter (26%) of workers saying their employer has not acted on diversity and inclusion. A similar one quarter (25%) of U.S. workers do not think that racism exists in the organizations they work for.

Race plays a role in perceptions of progress, with 46% of Black African American workers reporting employers' progress on racism. In comparison, 33% of White women workers (25% of White men) do not think that racism exists in the organizations they work for.

What is more, more than 4 in 5 workers (84%) whose organization has taken action to address racism feel proud to be working for their employer. The same is true for only 2 in 5 (42%) of those who say no action has been taken.

Younger generations feel more positive about their employer's progress on diversity and inclusion in the last year. 63% of Gen Z and 56% of Millennials say progress has been made while a lesser 32% of Boomers feel the same.

The top 2 issues that Americans expected employers to 'walk the talk' in the workplace were racial equality (45%) and gender equality (39%). Joint third issues were LGBTQ+ (29%) and disability inclusion (29%).

Do workers care about an employer's commitment to purpose? Half say yes.

An employer's purpose can take worker engagement to a higher level, with a company's purpose making 51% of U.S. workers feel more engaged at work and 2 in 5 (42%) employees prouder to work there.

"Employers who address race and gender inequality in the workplace can expect a more engaged workforce, which can lead to higher productivity," said Reputation Leaders CEO Laurence Evans. "It shows there is a business case for advancing diversity, equality, and inclusion in the workplace while being realistic that this is a journey with a long way to go for most employers."

Importantly, for employers looking to win the talent war among a younger workforce, connection to purpose makes Gen Z/Millennials (58%) feel more engaged in their work than it does for Baby Boomers (37%).

Methodology

Reputation Leaders ran a U.S. national online study from September 28-30, 2020. Interviews were conducted among 1,000 U.S. adults aged 18 and over, matching the U.S. demographic profile by age, gender, and region. Results were compared with a previous wave from April 20-21, 2020.

Full results are downloadable from https://www.reputationleaders.ltd/media/purposepoll  

For more information on Purpose and Reputation, contact [email protected]

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SOURCE Reputation Leaders