Disabled Workers Have Less Confidence in Their Workplace, Report Finds
"This report takes the temperature of the state of workplaces around the world, mid-way through a year that is seeing rapid growth in technologies and political and economic uncertainty. Five years on from the COVID-19 pandemic, which undeniably shaped the way we work today, this report outlines exactly what is driving employee engagement."
Key Findings
Technology leads in engagement: Technology consistently ranks as the highest-performing sector globally and in the UK for both engagement and confidence in management, highlighting strong trust in leadership within the industry.
Sector and regional disparities: UK sectors like Retail and Hospitality underperform compared to global averages, influenced by local challenges such as regulatory changes and economic pressures.
Workplace flexibility impacts engagement: Globally, employees who work from home frequently report higher engagement.
Disabled workers in the UK are at risk: Disabled staff in the UK have a lower confidence in management score than the global benchmark and also report an elevated level of flight risk.
Pay and financial benefits: Reflecting upon the responses to the question “What 3 changes would improve your workplace happiness?” the most frequently cited area was ‘Pay and Financial Benefits’ as stated by over 10,000 individuals.
Conclusion: The insights highlighted in this report underscore how industries are battling very different challenges, yet flexibility and pay demands are universal. Leadership is also critical to workplace engagement and employee happiness and this report provides clear opportunities for improvement.
Disabled Workers
When exploring the experiences of Disabled employees in the UK, notably disabled UK staff report a confidence in management score of only 66%, a substantial 5% point deficit compared to the global benchmark of 71% for this demographic. This gap signals potential systemic barriers to trust and inclusion in the UK.
Even more alarming is the elevated flight risk among Disabled UK employees, which stands at 36%, significantly higher than the 31% observed among their global counterparts. This dual pattern of lower confidence in management and higher retention vulnerability suggests that UK organisations may require targeted interventions to address the specific needs and experiences of Disabled employees. With particular focus on management training, accessibility initiatives, and career development pathways for Disabled employees.
Kamran Mallick, DR UK CEO, had this to say: "These findings serve as a stark reminder that far too many Disabled employees in the UK continue to lack the trust, opportunities, and sense of belonging they rightfully deserve in the workplace. A 5-point gap in confidence in management compared to global peers, along with an elevated flight risk, are not merely statistics — they represent signals of unmet potential and systemic exclusion.
UK organisations must progress beyond policy statements to concrete action. This entails investing in inclusive leadership training, embedding accessibility throughout every level of the employee experience, and co-designing career development pathways with Disabled individuals. Establishing trust begins with listening — and acting. The time for transformative change is now."