EDI in the Workplace
Blog

EDI in 2026: What’s Real, What’s Dead, and What’s Next
This article speaks about why 2026 is the ultimate year of reckoning for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). It explores a critical convergence of forces: the displacement of marginalised workers by AI, the real-world dangers of divisive "anti-EDI" politics, and the blurring of economic reality in the digital age. We move beyond predictions to analyse how systemic risks are now surfacing for those who neglected EDI, while the "gold rush" of superficial consultancy faces a much-needed market correction. The post highlights a shift toward radical cross-sector collaboration and the necessity of embedding EDI into core operations to meet new legislative duties on pay gaps and employment rights. Ultimately, 2026 is about moving past performance to focus on the tangible human experience, proving that in an automated world, human-centric inclusion is a strategic imperative rather than an optional extra.
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The EDI Calendar Myth: Visibility Isn’t Impact
EDI has become overwhelming, as many organisations confuse visible "performance" with actual progress and strategic "impact." With hundreds of awareness days to track, attempts to cover everything lead to scattered, last-minute spending, low impact, and tokenism. This article outlines the five key activities organisations must immediately stop and provides a strategic framework for allocating EDI budget properly. Learn how to use your EDI calendar as a decision-making tool—not a content schedule—to prioritise, plan, and invest with intent, turning noise into measurable impact.
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EDI in the Workplace

EDI Year End Wrap Up
Reflecting on their 2025 work, The Equal Group observed a more complex and honest landscape. Staff are more vocal yet fatigued, while leaders are cautious and often unaware of the depth of employee disengagement. Client projects showed a slow but clear shift away from short-term interventions toward demanding systemic change. Recurring challenges include a gap between leadership perception and employee reality, with inclusion still being treated as a project rather than an ongoing responsibility. The blog concludes that many are currently "lost," with leaders feeling commitment is risky due to backlash, and staff feeling overlooked. The path forward requires renewed focus, managing the most complex aspects of EDI, and prioritizing long-term structural progress over temporary optics.
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EDI in the Workplace

Allyship: The Self-Appointed Status Symbol
The concept of allyship has critically drifted from its original purpose of active solidarity to become a self-appointed status symbol and a means to deflect accountability. True allyship is defined by consistent, high-risk action, which often involves discomfort, inconvenience, and challenging the system, not by low-cost, performative gestures like wearing badges or posting online. This performative allyship is rooted in self-interest, offering moral credit without consequence, and fails to dismantle structural inequality. When the social or professional cost of advocacy becomes high, many "allies" quietly disappear, revealing their commitment as conditional. Ultimately, the text challenges the reader to determine if they are a genuine ally—willing to risk social capital and comfort—or merely attached to the image of one, concluding that allyship that only exists when safe and rewarded is nothing more than self-promotion dressed up as principle.
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