Employees six times more likely to leave non-inclusive workplaces
Posted 4th November 2026 • Written by Maddison Frost on personneltoday.com
In workplaces where inclusion scores are low, employees are six times more likely to plan to leave within a year, a report found.
Onvero, an inclusion consultancy, found that employees in workplaces rated “very inclusive” expect to stay with their organisation for 7.2 years on average, compared with 4.3 years in workplaces rated “not at all inclusive”.
While two-thirds (67%) of organisations have a defined culture strategy, only 22% of employees described their workplace culture as “highly inclusive”.
Four in ten employees in workplaces that scored low for inclusion cited poor leadership as a reason to leave, compared with 19% in highly inclusive cultures. Meanwhile, 30% cited poor culture, compared with 12%, and 31% cited a lack of recognition, compared with 17%.
Only 32% said their culture strategy is fully embedded throughout the organisation. Moreover, leaders are more likely to rate their workplace culture highly, with 69% scoring it four or five, compared with 55% of employees.
Additionally, 44% of employees are likely to believe their organisation should do more on inclusion, against 21% of leaders.
In “very psychologically safe” workplaces, 85% of respondents felt valued and respected, compared with 9% in workplaces rated “not at all safe”.
Similarly, 85% were happy to work for their organisation, against 10% in the “least safe” workplaces, while 81% felt fulfilled in their role, compared with 13%.
Onvero said the findings from its report suggest that organisations’ ambitions for culture are not consistently reflected in leadership decisions or employees’ everyday experiences.
Sandi Wassmer, CEO of Onvero, said: “Leaders need to seriously consider the role inclusive cultures play in business, or risk adverse implications for retaining talent and overall success.
“Culture takes shape in everyday interactions, from how managers respond to concerns to whether unacceptable behaviour is challenged, so leaders must take responsibility for ensuring people feel respected and safe to speak openly.
“Genuinely listening to what employees tell them builds trust and gives people confidence in their future with the organisation.”
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