East Midlands Chamber is urging the region’s firms and political leaders to give greater priority to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) after detailed research revealed barriers like a ‘fear of getting it wrong’ preventing faster progress.
Conducted by East Midlands Chamber in conjunction with Strategic Partner emh Group – which provides affordable homes, care and support – the research revealed a significant rise in the number of East Midlands businesses that have adopted an EDI policy to nearly 7 out of 10, while there was no change in the number of businesses (2 out of 10) saying there is ‘no benefit’ in having a structure.
Over 300 East Midlands businesses took part in the research, with data collected in 2024 compared to the previous year to track progress and form recommendations for businesses and political leaders.
Key findings from East Midlands businesses:
- 7 out of 10 businesses have an EDI policy
- The top benefit of an EDI policy reported as ‘an inclusive environment’
- EDI policies are more common – up from 5 out of 10 businesses the previous year
- Fear of ‘getting it wrong’ is the main barrier to an EDI policy, reported by more than a third
- 2 out of 10 believe an EDI policy has ‘no benefits’
Headline recommendations for businesses:
- Bring EDI learning into leadership training
- Celebrate best EDI practice
Headline recommendations for political leaders:
- Help develop training programmes for EDI
- Help businesses with messaging
East Midlands Chamber Director of Policy and Insight Richard Blackmore said: “These findings show that awareness continues to grow in the East Midlands around the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
“Where more work is arguably needed is around the understanding of what exactly this means, what good practice can look like and the benefits that getting this right can bring to an organisation.
“Taking an EDI-informed approach to business isn’t just the right thing to do from a fair or just perspective, it can also give an organisation a competitive edge, regardless of size or sector.
“The Chamber will continue to work with all members to support growth in that understanding and showcase the great practice that already exists in the region, helping cement the East Midlands as the most exciting, innovative and successful place to start and grow your business.”
emh Group CEO Chan Kataria OBE said: “This is the third year of our joint EDI research and once again I’m delighted with the level of engagement we have seen, a huge thank you to all who took part. There’s clearly a strong recognition of the benefits of EDI in the workplace and its role in creating an inclusive environment.
“We’ve seen a positive shift in the number of members with an EDI policy compared to last year. The desire from participants to ‘do the right thing’ around EDI is also reflected in some of the barriers that have been reported – these give us a clear focus for future discussions, collaborations, and support.
“In addition, there is more to do around sharing practices that demonstrate the tangible contribution of EDI to the bottom-line success of a business. We look forward to working closely with the Chamber and its members to make a real difference within business and communities across the region.”
