On 6 April 2022, the Government Analysis Function (AF) published the results of its fourth Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) survey.
The AF is a cross government network of approximately 17,000 people involved in the generation and dissemination of analysis for the purpose of improving the analytical capability of the Civil Service.
Impact on the workplace
The survey is part of the organisation’s AF D&I Strategy 2021-2024, which was released in February 2021. In general, the number of ethnic minority and female responses decreased as seniority grades increased.
Given the low response rate (12%) to the 2022 survey, the organisation looked at responses to comparable surveys conducted in 2020. The results included:
- 33% of black respondents indicated that they had personally experienced discrimination at work in the previous 12 months, in contrast with 7% of white British respondents in 2021.
- Respondents with physical or mental health conditions or illnesses were less likely to agree that there was impartial promotion (60% in agreement for those with versus 70% for those without) or fairness in their workplace (78% compared to 88%). They were also less likely to agree that their department was committed to equal opportunities, with 79% agreeing versus 86% of those without.
- The chances of respondents experiencing discrimination in the previous 12 months showed an incremental increase with age, with respondents aged 55 and over experiencing the most at 16% (more than five times that of the youngest group).
- Respondents with caring responsibilities for adults were much less positive about being treated impartially in the workplace; 64% agreed that staff were treated impartially (compared to 87% without caring responsibilities) and for promotion (48% versus 68%). These respondents reported feeling less positive about their department’s commitment to equality (63% agreed their department was committed compared to 86%); they also felt they faced greater levels of harassment (19% had experienced this versus 5%) and discrimination (18% compared to 7%).
The 2022 survey results have prompted AF to undertake further analysis to better understand the experiences of people who belong to more than one excluded demographic characteristic and has been shared with the AF D&I Working Group for consideration.
These summarised findings were presented by the Government Analysis Function on 6 April 2022. Civil servants can request a more detailed analysis of the findings by sending an email to Analysis.Function@ons.gov.uk.
The information contained within this resource was accurate at the time of its publication and subsequent revision. This post was created on 7 April 2022.
Additional enei resources
External resource
- Gov.uk, Analysis Function Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, 3 February 2021