UK Workplace Racism Is Getting Worse - And Most Companies Are Pretending Not to Notice
New TUC data shows physical violence, racist "banter," and unfair treatment are all up since 2020. Here is what is actually happening – and what needs to be done about it
The Numbers Are Not Subtle
A new report from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) – published on 24 April 2026 , has found that racist behaviour at work is rising, not falling.
The survey covers Black and ethnic minority workers in Britain. Compared to 2020:
The percentage who have had their English language abilities questioned at work has gone from 20% to 31%.
The percentage who have experienced racist jokes or “banter” has gone from 36% to 41%.
The percentage who have faced physical violence or threats has gone from 19% to 26%.
These are not small changes. They are clear, measurable increases in explicit racism.
Who Is Doing This?
According to the TUC:
33% of racist incidents are carried out by colleagues.
22% are carried out by customers, clients, or patients.
That means more than half of all incidents come from people inside or directly interacting with the workplace. This is not a problem coming from “outside society.” It is happening on the shop floor, in the office, and at the front desk.
Unfair Treatment Is Now Normalised
The report also looks at day-to-day unfair treatment, not just obvious abuse.
Among Black workers:
45% say they are given harder or less popular work tasks than others.
43% say they receive unfair criticism.
35% say the unfair treatment comes directly from their manager.
This has real consequences for pay and job security:
41% of Black and ethnic minority workers are kept on temporary or fixed-term contracts.
37% say they are regularly overlooked for overtime.
In simple terms: people are being given worse work, criticised unfairly, kept on insecure contracts, and denied extra pay – all while facing more jokes, more verbal abuse, and more physical threat than five years ago.
Why Is This Happening?
The TUC report does not guess. It points to three clear drivers.
First, political and media rhetoric has changed: Over the last several years, openly anti-immigrant and racially charged language has become more common in public life. This has made some people feel entitled to say things at work that they would have kept quiet about before.
Second, equality and inclusion work has lost momentum: Many companies treated anti-racism as a short-term project - a set of training sessions or a staff network. When that project ended, or when it became politically uncomfortable to continue, the underlying culture came back. And that culture was never truly changed.
Third, there are few consequences: Most racist behaviour is not properly investigated. Most unfair treatment is not punished. Many workers have learned that reporting racism leads to nothing - or worse, gets them labelled as difficult.
What Is Supposed to Change?
A new legal rule takes effect in October 2026 under the Employment Rights Act. Employers will become legally responsible for harassment carried out by third parties - customers, clients, contractors, or members of the public.
That means if a shop worker is racially abused by a customer and the employer does nothing, the employer can be taken to tribunal. The law requires employers to take “reasonable steps” to protect their staff.
But legal liability is not the same as cultural change. Many companies will do the bare minimum to avoid being sued. That will not stop racist behaviour from colleagues, managers, or the daily unfair treatment that grinds people down.
What Actually Works?
Based on the evidence in the TUC report and what is known about workplace behaviour, four practical actions would make a real difference.
1. Publish the data internally – and tie it to pay
Every quarter, a company should publish how many reports of racist behaviour it has received, broken down by type (verbal, physical, unfair tasks, contract discrimination). Department heads and senior managers should have their bonuses or pay increases partly determined by whether these numbers go down. What gets measured gets acted on.
2. Ban the “it was just banter” defence
Too many racist comments are dismissed as jokes. A simple rule removes this loophole: if the person on the receiving end says it was not a joke, it is harassment. Intent does not matter. Effect does. Disciplinary procedures should be updated to reflect this.
3. Stop using temporary contracts as a race filter
Forty-one per cent of ethnic minority workers are kept on fixed-term contracts. That is not a coincidence. Companies should set a clear target: no net increase in the proportion of ethnic minority workers on temporary contracts over the next 12 months. If a job exists for six months, it can exist as a permanent role.
4. Train staff to refuse racist customers
From October 2026, customers who abuse staff become the employer’s legal problem. Every frontline manager should have a simple script: “We do not accept racist behaviour. If you continue, we will end this transaction.” Companies should track every customer dismissed for racism. That list is evidence of action.
What Happens If Nothing Changes?
The TUC report makes clear that talented workers are already leaving, staying quiet, or burning out.
When someone is given harder tasks, criticised unfairly, and has their language questioned regularly, they stop contributing fully. Then they leave. And the company loses training, experience, and potential, often to competitors who have cleaner records.
At the same time, the new legal duty means companies that ignore third-party harassment will face tribunals, fines, and reputational damage. Ignoring racism is no longer cost-free. It never really was.
A Reckoning
The TUC has provided clear, shocking numbers. Workplace racism is not a leftover problem from the past. It has increased on multiple measures since 2020. Colleagues and customers are the main sources. Managers are the main source of unfair treatment. And temporary contracts are being used to lock ethnic minority workers into insecure, lower-status roles.
More training sessions will not fix this. Better mission statements will not fix this. The only thing that works is honest measurement, firm rules, real consequences, and a willingness to lose racist customers.
The data is public. The law is coming. The choice is simple: act now, or wait for the tribunals and resignations to force the issue later.