Equality in the Workplace Wales Conference

• Setting the scene: Welsh policy landscape, employer responsibilities and the renewed national focus on fair, inclusive and equitable workplaces

• Understanding how the Welsh Government equality strategies are shaping employer expectations, organisational accountability, and workforce inclusion

• The impact of government priorities, including the Welsh Government’s Anti‑Racist Wales Action Plan, the LGBTQ+ Action Plan, and the National Equality Objectives (2024–28).

• Moving beyond compliance to deliver fair, equal opportunities and truly equitable work
• Turning equality commitments into measurable outcomes

Understanding what recent and upcoming legislative and policy developments mean for employers in Wales:

• The Employment Rights Act: new duties on discrimination, harassment, equal pay, Equality Action Plans, pay gap reporting, and family-friendly rights
• EHRC upcoming gender guidance: legal definition of sex under the Equality Act 2010 and practical workplace implications
• Reasonable adjustments: when, how and who?
• Strengthening protections around pregnancy, maternity, and flexible working
• Preparing HR and leadership teams for regulatory change

Hear from employers, public service leaders, and speakers with lived experience on what works in practice:

• Embedding equality into recruitment, progression, and pay
• Tackling structural and cultural barriers
• Leadership responsibility and accountability
• Moving beyond tokensim

• Developing effective methods to collect and analyse organisation-wide data on protected characteristics

• Leveraging data insights to identify gaps, risks, and priority areas for organisational improvement

• Using evidence-based data to create fair, targeted opportunities for recruitment, retention, and career progression

• Minimising bias and promoting fairness throughout the recruitment process

• Expanding talent acquisition by reaching diverse candidates across the full labour market

• Fostering inclusive organisational cultures that support equity, belonging, and long-term retention

• Embedding cultural competence across all levels of the organisation

• Identifying and addressing racial pay, progression, and opportunity gaps

• Exploring practical strategies to recognise and reduce unconscious bias, and prevent racial discrimination and harassment

• Taking meaningful, proactive steps to embed anti-racism into organisational policy, practice, and culture

• Understanding the impact of anti-racism initiatives in Wales to date, including lessons learned and best practice

• Understanding gender pay gap reporting and developing effective Equality Action Plans

• Creating supportive, inclusive Menopause Action Plans from 2027

• Promoting fair treatment and awareness of pregnancy, maternity, and family-friendly rights

• Enabling flexible and hybrid working to support work–life balance and gender equity

• Challenging occupational segregation and improving access to diverse career pathways

• Supporting trans and non‑binary staff through inclusive policies, respectful language, and accessible gender‑affirming workplace practices
• Preventing bullying and discrimination by promoting zero‑tolerance culture, clear reporting routes, and active allyship
• Aligning with the Welsh Government LGBTQ+ Action Plan by embedding its priorities into policies, training, and organisational culture

• What is the social model of disability in the workplace and what does it look like in practice?
• Removing organisational and environmental barriers to ensure disabled staff can participate fully, rather than placing responsibility on individuals to adapt
• Creating inclusive day‑to‑day support for disabled employees, fostering understanding, confidence, and psychologically safe teams
• Designing accessible recruitment and progression pathways that remove bias, widen participation, and enable talent to thrive at every stage

• Understanding autism and ADHD: what it is, how it presents differently for each individual, and why a one‑size‑fits‑all approach doesn’t work
• Creating supportive environments: practical ways employers can adapt communication, workloads, and spaces to meet needs of autistic or ADHD staff
• Designing adjustments that benefit everyone

• Supporting younger and older workers through inclusive policies, flexibility, and understanding different career needs
• Preventing age discrimination by challenging stereotypes, ensuring fair processes, and embedding age‑inclusive practices
• Career development across life stages, recognising varied ambitions, transitions, and growth pathways
• Retention and retraining strategies that value experience, build future skills, and strengthen organisational capability

• Turning learning into action for workplace equality in Wales
• Final reflections and next steps for employers committed to fair and equal workplaces