Things to consider when undergoing EDGE Certification in the United Kingdom

When working towards EDGE Certification in the UK, understanding the local DE&I landscape is crucial. This article delves into the UK’s DE&I requirements and data protection policies that may influence EDGE Certification. By exploring the key factors shaping DE&I in the UK, your organization can better prepare and leverage EDGE (gender-binary) and EDGEplus (gender and intersectionality) Certifications to foster impactful, sustainable change.

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Labour Market Indicators
DE&I Focus Areas on a Country Level
Personal Data Protection in the UK
Achieve Meaningful DE&I Impact with EDGE Certification

Labour Market Indicators

DE&I Focus Areas on a Country Level

DE&I Focus Areas	Status in the United Kingdom
Paid Parental Leave	Maternity Leave: Up to 39 weeks – 6 weeks at 90% of earnings, 33 weeks at £184.03 or 90% of earnings (whichever is lower). Paternity Leave: Up to 2 weeks at £184.03 or 90% of earnings (whichever is lower).
Law on Pay Equity	Yes ✅
Pay Gap Reporting Legal Requirement	Yes ✅
Gender Quotas on Company Boards	No ❌
Non-Binary Gender Identity Legal Recognition	No ❌
Sexual Harassment Protection in Employment	Yes ✅
Disability Non-Discrimination in Employment	Yes ✅
LGBTQ+ Non-Discrimination in Employment	Yes ✅
Race/Ethnicity Non-Discrimination in Employment	Yes ✅
Nationality Non-Discrimination in Employment	Yes ✅
Age Non-Discrimination in Employment	Yes ✅
Same-Sex Marriage	Yes ✅

This data is taken from EquiNations, our research which captures the DE&I legislative contexts across the 20 countries with the highest number of currently EDGE Certified organizations.

View the full EquiNations research

Personal data protection in the United Kingdom

The Data Protection Act 2018 governs the handling of personal data in the UK, in alignment with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Compliance with these regulations is mandatory when processing personal data within the UK. These guidelines differentiate between general personal data and ‘sensitive data,’ such as race and health, where obtaining explicit consent is crucial for collection and processing. Notably, the UK Data Protection Act acknowledges the exemption of anonymized data from the strict regulations governing personal data. Moreover, UK adequacy regulations have assessed Switzerland as providing adequate protection for people’s rights and freedoms about their personal data. EDGE securely collects, analyzes, and stores only anonymized and aggregated data on servers located in Switzerland, ensuring compliance with UK data protection policies. Therefore, organizations operating in the UK can confidently utilize our services, guaranteeing adherence to the Data Protection Act 2018.

Achieve Meaningful DE&I Impact with EDGE Certification

EDGE Certification, audited by independent third-party certification bodies, ensures the integrity and credibility of data, offering organizations a compelling way to demonstrate their commitment to DE&I and showcase their performance.

DE&I management requires a sustained, business-critical focus. Integrating DE&I into an organization’s policies and practices while regularly reviewing and refining efforts is essential. EDGE Certification, powered by EDGE Empower^®, supports organizations build and maintain this focus and includes:

An analytical framework to help organizations assess their current DE&I status and benchmark to define achievable goals.
Two-year cycles to set time-bound objectives and track progress.
Transparency and accountability through third-party verification.
EDGEplus for a comprehensive view of DE&I that considers the intersectionality between gender and other diversity dimensions (race/ethnicity, gender identity, working with a disability, nationality, age, and LGBTQ+).
A data-driven, proven approach informed by leadership insights and real-world practices, supporting a holistic DE&I strategy.
Guidance on meeting DE&I compliance obligations, including the CSRD and EU Pay Transparency Directive.

EDGE Empower^® is a comprehensive DE&I software-based solution, empowering organizations to apply the same discipline and rigor to DE&I as to any other critical business objective. EDGE Empower^® offers a holistic approach to facilitate DE&I compliance obligations in the UK, including: