Ongoing challenges

Workplace bias and other issues

Outstanding Challenges

Workplace bias

38% of respondents have faced workplace bias due to their gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or other factors. On a positive note, this number has fallen from 41% in our 2021 survey.

Like last year, the number is higher for 50% of female respondents of the survey, whereas 26% of male respondents also faced workplace bias due to their gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or other factors. This disparity between genders is also much smaller than it was in 2021.

1 in 3 professionals working as entry level, non-management, management, director and VP roles report that they have fallen victim to workplace bias.

This number roars higher for those in top-level roles, as 53% of C-suite executives, 48% of business presidents and owners and 43% of board executives report that they have been affected by workplace bias.

Astonishingly, 75% of freelancers also report that they have experienced the issue.

What challenges have you, yourself, encountered and would like to have addressed? (Selected responses)

"As a gay man, I have been pass[ed] over for promotions. I am not part of the bro network and it has at times hindered my career"

"I was actually bullied by a female manager. The male managers did nothing about it."

"[The challenges] were in large corporate companies. Stereotypes, bullying, body shaming, gender bias."

"Prior to present employer, working at a different MAJOR BioPharma, my boss told me that if she knew someone worked for her had a disease as I do (which at the time she did not know since mine was "invisible"), she would figure a way to fire them."

"Ageism. Told that boomers need to move on so next generations can climb the ladder"

"There is a bias vs non-PhDs in management and on the boards of companies in the industry."

"Inclusion for me specifically. There tend to be a lot of cliques when attending company functions. It is difficult to try to include yourself when your [sic] a natural introvert."

"I have had male dominated hierarchy where they do not value working mums and are penalized for not always being able to work late due to child care pick up or having to stay home if a child is sick. In addition, a culture of promoting men and incentivizing a boy's culture such as after hours activities only for men"

"Being told we already have one BIPOC in VP/SVP/EVP level (out of 5000 employees). Being told to wait your turn when less qualified white women continue to advance."

"I have encountered situations where white employees are given more opportunities to experiment and fail, given more grace, where BIPOC employees are dealt with more severely and critically."

"Pay differences from men and women doing the same job"

Final insights from our respondents...

As a close to our survey, respondents are invited to leave further comments. Many responses address aspects of DEI that are often overlooked, such as mentorship, staff retention, late-stage career development and training strategies. Here is a selection:

"At the highest levels, training is needed in matters of marginalisation and privilege; but it is precisely the senior managers that won't come to diversity training. They send lower management, specialists, etc — people who can't actually affect change."

"Give more individuals a chance with a later career Internship Program bringing in candidates on a temp to perm basis. Front line HR seems to be new employees with no previous work experience and discard many outstanding candidates."

"I think mentorship of entry level scientists is incredibly important and often overlooked in favor of mentorship for scientists with more advanced degrees. I think it is equally important to mentor both. Additionally, it would be helpful to scientists to be able to find people with background that they can better relate to to ask for guidance and help."

"I think DEI in rare disease adds another layer of burden to having the rare voice heard... We need to focus on finding treatments for everyone. The research and clinical field complains we don't have enough people to be worth helping, we certainly would not exclude anyone."

"My manager has promised a promotion and reneged/acted like he never mentioned it come performance evaluation time. There has to be way to track this, and more often than not they are race/gender related."

"I believe there are stronger policies and training in place addressing diversity & inclusion in most mid-size or large organisations. Not sure how this is addressed in small enterprises."

"Diversity is a wide concept; not just gender and race but also handicaps, single parents, employees with career duties, etc."