World of HR: One-third of HR leaders in the UK faced DEI pushback in the last year

The debate over the future of DEI in the US has permeated borders over the last 15 months, leading employers in other countries to pull back on their programming as well. New data suggests that some HR leaders committed to DEI overseas are struggling to preserve it.

Where in the world? Roughly one in three HR leaders in the UK have faced resistance to DEI programming over the past year, according to a recent survey of 565 HR leaders from employment nonprofit Working Chance and YouGov.

“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, CEO of Working Chance, a UK charity that helps women with criminal histories find work, said in a press release.

The findings indicate that DEI hesitancy may be rising in the UK and come just months after the Guardian reported that several employers pulled back support of annual Pride celebrations.

In October, research from law firm Freeths found that more than half of employers in the UK had changed their policies based on the Trump administration’s anti-DEI attitudes. A few months prior, a poll suggested that while workers in the UK largely support specific DEI initiatives, their support for the term is much lower, HR Brew reported.

“HR leaders are in no doubt that teams with greater cognitive diversity make better decisions,” leadership coach Emma Georgiou told HR Magazine of the Working Chance report. “We’re in a bizarre situation where businesses are self-sabotaging by doing the wrong thing to look like they’re doing the right thing.”

Satellite view. In the US, many DEI programs and policies appear to be moving forward, despite the Trump administration’s never-ending attempts to pressure companies to end them. While DEI may not be as much of a priority, 63% of HR professionals say their organization’s investment in the practice didn’t change in 2025, according to a recent HR Brew survey.

Companies should consider the changing demographics in the US as they aim to recruit and retain top talent, David Glasgow, executive director at the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, recently told HR Brew.

“If people show up, and the only people who feel like they are included and have a voice are white men, for instance, and you lose all the other talented people, they’re quiet quitting, or they’re disengaged in their workplace, that’s not good for your business success.”