Great Britain: KPMG makes unconscious bias training mandatory

From June 2022, all 15,800 staff at the UK accounting and auditing giant will undergo mandatory ‘unconscious bias training.’ Employees who refuse the training risk losing part of their bonus allocation as their career evaluation will inevitably be affected, the group has warned. This unprecedented decision comes after the group’s former chairperson, Bill Michael, was forced to step down in 2021 after claiming that unconscious bias training had been “complete and utter cr*p for years” (c.f. article No.12670). The KPMG training due to start in June will focus primarily on ending socioeconomic bias. For example, employees will be informed that discussing their latest exotic or ski holiday, issues surrounding private schools or even gap years, can make other colleagues feel excluded. The training will also address bias related to background (race/class), gender, disability, and sexual orientation. Kevin Hogarth, Chief People Officer at KPMG UK, said “Our upcoming inclusion, diversity and equity training module will be mandatory for all our colleagues and partners, ensuring it gets the attention it deserves,” continuing, “We want all our people to come as they are, and that can only be made possible by challenging ourselves, confronting biases and listening and learning from each other.”