What 2025 Taught Us About DEI (and What Comes Next)

2025 – Backlash, Caution and Complexity

For many organisations, 2025 was shaped by a visible backlash against DEI. This caution has been reflected not just in language, but in behaviour: during 2025, the proportion of large US companies publicly disclosing racial and ethnic data on board directors fell sharply, with disclosure rates in major indices dropping by more than 30 percentage points year on year (The Conference Board, 2025).

Political polarisation, economic uncertainty and louder scepticism about the return on investment from DEI all contributed to a more challenging environment. In the US, we’ve seen this show up as reduced budgets and a shift away from mandatory programmes. In the UK and Europe, the picture has been less extreme, but still marked by greater caution in how inclusion is talked about publicly.

This has left organisations walking something of a tightrope. On one side, there is pressure to dial down language or reframe activity. On the other, there are employees for whom inclusion work is not optional or symbolic, but fundamental to feeling safe and valued at work. As Hayley Barnard puts it:

“2025 has brought a real challenge for organisations: how to evolve or reframe their DEI efforts without eroding trust or diminishing their importance for those who depend on them.”

Who Feels Able to Speak Up (and Who Doesn’t)

For Stef Clifton-Sprigg, another striking feature of 2025 has been what’s not been talked about. In the face of major global events and visible social tensions, many organisations have avoided talking about them at all. That silence appears to stem from fear – fear of being seen as political, of saying the wrong thing, or of being accused of policing people’s beliefs.

At the same time, some people have felt increasingly emboldened to voice strong views at work, even while others have become more cautious and withdrawn. As Angela Wren notes –

“Psychological safety is much more complex than we often assume – It isn’t experienced equally – what feels safe for some can be risky for others.”

For many, speaking up often carries little consequence while, for others, historic experiences and systemic dynamics mean the stakes are higher. The result is a polarised experience of voice – where confidence and safety are unevenly distributed perpetuating different workplace experiences.

This trend brought psychological safety firmly into focus in 2025, but in a more complicated way than previous years. For example, the gap between expectation and experience is particularly visible for younger workers – only around one in five Gen Zs and millennials believe their managers are fostering an inclusive culture, despite more than four in ten saying leaders should be responsible for creating inclusive environments (Deloitte Gen Z and Millennial Survey, 2025).

As Stef Clifton-Sprigg notes, organisations are struggling to navigate a climate where people feel newly entitled to voice strong beliefs, while leaders fear being seen as controlling debate:

“It’s not about shutting people up – it’s about where the line is between expressing an opinion and crossing into harassment.”

Rather than being something that exists uniformly across an organisation, it’s increasingly clear that psychological safety depends on identity, power and context. Some people can speak freely with little consequence; others carry real risk when they do.

Getting Back to Basics – Without Losing Ambition

Against this backdrop, the conversation repeatedly returned to the importance of getting ‘back to basics’ with DEI. In the UK, the legal framework remains unchanged – the Equality Act and its protected characteristics still apply, regardless of shifting rhetoric. As Hayley Barnard reminds us:

“Whatever direction public debate takes, the Equality Act still stands – people remain protected, and organisations remain accountable”.

This is the same for most countries in the world – workplace anti-discrimination and equality laws are a reality that organisations can’t afford to overlook.

At the same time, there is a growing desire to lift conversations out of narrow or adversarial debates, and back to a more universal question – how do we create workplaces where people can work well together, even when they hold different views?

Rather than abandoning DEI, many organisations are reframing it as part of a broader conversation about culture, respect and how work actually gets done. Much of Mix’s work in 2025 was supporting organisations to move away from being perceived as the ‘thought police’, and towards a culture that’s “respectful of other people’s opinions without losing the line between belief and harm,” as Stef puts it.

This shift is not just about language. It reflects a move away from surface-level activity and towards work that is more embedded, and more durable.

From DEI as a Function to Culture as Everyone’s Job

Although DEI language may have become diluted, responsibility for inclusion is moving up, not down. Board-level oversight for inclusion and culture is increasing, and leaders are being asked to engage more directly with complex people-decisions.

This is part of a wider, growing recognition that culture cannot sit with HR or a specialist role alone. As Angela Wren reflects:

“Responsibility still too often gets pushed to a role or function when, in reality, it doesn’t matter what we call it if it’s still seen as HR or DEI’s job – it has to be truly owned at a local level, embedded across the organisation and show up in the day to day decisions and actions leaders and colleagues are taking.”

Whether you call it DEI or culture, progress depends on leaders making different choices day to day – how they handle challenges, how they interrupt harmful behaviour, and how they create conditions where people feel able to contribute.

Much of the most impactful work happening now is quiet. As Stef Clifton-Sprigg notes, “the deep work hasn’t gone away – it’s just less showy,” with investment increasingly focused on leadership coaching and board-level development rather than visible campaigns. This shift is profoundly and positively shaping behaviour in ways that may not be immediately visible but are deeply influential over time.

Mix’s bespoke leadership coaching can help leaders recognise their own unconscious bias, build stronger connections with their teams, drive growth and foster a sense of belonging. We also offer 1:1 Exec Coaching, providing a private, supportive space for leaders to deepen their understanding of equity, diversity and inclusion. Get in touch with our team to discuss the right solution for you.

Compliance as a Gateway, Not a Ceiling

For some organisations, new legal requirements – including the Worker Protection Act – have been the lever that finally unlocked budget, attention and action in 2025.

But, while compliance may be the starting point, it is rarely the end goal. Legal frameworks provide structure and priorities in a crowded landscape, making it easier for organisations to move beyond hesitation and into meaningful action. At Mix, compliance-focused work often opens the door to broader conversations about behaviour, respect and psychological safety.

AI, People-Decisions and Unintended Consequences

AI has been one of the biggest forces reshaping organisational thinking in 2025, and its impact on DEI is only just starting to emerge. Many organisations have experimented with AI without a fully formed people strategy, and the risks of this are becoming more visible. For example, roles most vulnerable to automation are often those with higher levels of workforce diversity. AI is not neutral and, as Hayley Barnard warns, organisations risk “undoing years of good diversity work through AI adoption” if people, ethics and governance are not considered alongside technology.

At the same time, AI also has the potential to level the playing field. For neurodivergent colleagues in particular, the right tools can reduce barriers linked to executive functioning and access, enabling people to contribute in new ways.

The difference lies in leadership choices. AI does not make decisions in isolation – people do. Leaders decide where AI is introduced, which roles are redesigned or removed, how risks are assessed, and whose voices are included in those conversations.

Without clear governance, ethical oversight and a strong understanding of workforce impact, AI can quietly reinforce bias, narrow opportunity and strip out experience. When leaders take a deliberate, people-centred approach, however, AI can support better judgement, broaden access and strengthen decision-making, rather than undermine it.

Looking Ahead to 2026 – Realism With Optimism

Despite the challenges of 2025, the group shared a sense of cautious optimism about the year ahead. Hayley Barnard reflects that she feels “genuinely optimistic about the stronger foundations taking shape – from AI governance to pay transparency – that lay the groundwork for lasting, meaningful progress.”

Reflecting on the state of the sector, Stef Clifton-Sprigg sums it up simply: “It’s good for us as an industry to be challenged – the work that survives is the work that really matters.” The DEI backlash has forced harder questions and sharper thinking. The work that persists is work that is meaningful, practical and clearly connected to how organisations function.

Legislative and regulatory change is also creating a solid base for progress – from new FCA codes of conduct to the Worker Protection Act. These shifts may feel uncomfortable in the short term, but history suggests that well-designed regulation can drive lasting cultural change.

Perhaps most encouraging is a growing maturity in how organisations approach inclusion. Angela Wren describes this as “a shift away from quick fixes and towards deeper intent”, saying she is optimistic because organisations are starting to have “the real, substantial conversations rather than sticking plasters – which gives us the opportunity to embed inclusion deliberately across the employee life cycle.”

2026 is unlikely to be simpler. But it may be more intentional, more grounded and better equipped to deliver change that lasts. Mix is here to help you navigate and move forward with confidence: get in touch with our team to find out how.