Software Advice Survey Highlights Employee Sentiment on Workplace Social Justice Initiatives

Over three-quarters of employers have not followed public stances with action steps, according to employee sentiment.

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Software Advice, a company that helps small businesses navigate the software buying journey, shared the findings from its report on social justice in the workplace today. It found that only 24% of workers said their employer had taken a public stance on at least one issue and followed up with action to support their stance.

The study, which was composed of nearly 500 U.S. employees, reveals the complex and nuanced landscape in which employers must navigate to engage ethically while employees themselves are divided on the best way their companies should engage in social justice issues. Less than a third of respondents (30%) believe both that taking a stance is good for business, and that their co-workers have similar opinions on social justice issues and the actions their employer should take.

Don’t be mistaken, respondents want their employer to act. The majority of respondents (57%) want their employers to take a public stance on social justice issues, even those they don’t agree with. But it can’t be lip service. One-fifth of respondents already believe their employers’ stance on social justice issues doesn’t align with their business practices.

“Implementing an ‘apolitical’ workplace is sure to backfire,” said Brian Westfall, Principal Analyst at GetApp. “More efforts should be made to provide safe spaces for internal discussions around these hot-button issues, such as implementing employee resource groups (ERGs). We also found that companies tend to get better results when they address issues closely related to their brand and identity. Lastly, be sure you practice what you preach—workers will call out hypocrisy on social justice stances instantly.”

To effectively address social justice issues in the workplace, employers must first build environments to discuss social issues. In the survey, 44% of respondents say that their job doesn’t have employee resource groups (ERGs) for workers to be able to discuss social justice issues, but they wish they did. To learn more on how to address the divide within your workplace, read the full report here.

About Software Advice

Software Advice™ helps businesses navigate the software buying journey. Industry-specific advisors guide people through the selection process and provide personalized software recommendations. Founded in 2005, Software Advice has helped more than 825,000 businesses find the right software for their specific needs through 1-on-1 advice, objective research, and actionable insights. Software Advice also features over 1 million verified user reviews to ensure people feel confident in their technology decisions.

Survey Methodology

The Software Advice Social Justice Response Survey was conducted in July 2021. We collected 487 responses from full- or part-time workers at U.S. businesses with at least five employees. The goal of this survey was to learn employee sentiment about how their employer should respond to social justice issues in the United States.