One in four UK employees (25%) do not feel like they have a voice in their organisation, or that their employer encourages, listens to, and acts on feedback from its staff, according to a new study by HR software provider Ciphr.

Of the 1,000 workers who took part in Ciphr’s survey on diversity and inclusion in the workplace, 53% believe that they have a voice within their company. The remaining 22% of respondents, that’s over six million people – were undecided on whether they have a voice or not.

The results suggest that a huge swathe of the UK workforce could, potentially, be lacking a ‘voice’ in their organisation, which means that their views may not be being asked for, heard, or included in conversations and decisions that may directly affect them, Ciphr stated.

Female employees appear less likely than male employees to believe that they have a voice in their organisation (50% of surveyed women think they do have a voice at work, compared to 57% of surveyed men).

This feeling of voicelessness is even more pronounced among younger workers, with a third (33%) of women aged 18 to 24 years old reporting that they don’t think they have a voice in their organisation while one in six (17%) men of the same age feel that way.

Ciphr’s research shows that there is a direct link between feeling voiceless at work and a negative employee experience. Employees who do not feel listened to and heard in their organisation were found to be less likely to stay at that organisation and be unhappier and less engaged while they work there.

Of those who do not feel that they have a voice in their organisation, or that their organisation encourages, listens to, and acts on feedback from staff, less than a third (29%) report enjoying their job, only a quarter (26%) feel engaged and motivated at work, and just half (51%) intend to stay in their job for at least the next year.

In comparison, 81% of those who do feel that they have a voice in their organisation, and that their organisation encourages, listens to, and acts on feedback from staff, said that they enjoy their jobs and have job satisfaction, while 82% intend to stay at their jobs.

These ‘happier’ workers are also more likely to agree or strongly agree that they feel loyal to their organisation (79% of people who feel they have a voice vs 25% of those who feel voiceless), and feel included in, and consulted on, decisions that affect them (78% vs 17%).

Other key findings from the study showed 25% of 18- to 24-year-olds don’t feel confident or comfortable being themselves at work (compared to 12% of over 25s, and 4% of senior managers).

Meanwhile, 18% of all respondents (21% of men and 15% of women) said they rarely or never feel like they belong at work. At the same time, nearly one in six (17%) junior and middle managers don’t think that discriminatory or inappropriate behaviour is appropriately addressed at their organisation (the survey average is 14%).

One in seven (15%) non-managers don’t think that their leaders lead inclusively while 60% believe that their leaders lead inclusively, compared to 77% of those in leadership and senior management positions. Ciphr also found that 79% of senior managers think that their organisation’s policies take account of diverse needs and situations, but less than two-thirds (63%) of non-managers agree with them.