Nearly half (45%) of UK adults have faced discrimination either at work or during their job search, a survey has found.

The survey by Ciphr, which polled 4,000 UK adults, also found that 39% believed they were rejected from a role due to discrimination.

Women were nearly twice as likely as men to report discrimination, with 10% saying they had lost out on a job because of their gender, compared to 5.2% of men.

Aggie Mutuma, CEO of Mahogany Inclusion Partners, said the findings reinforced what “too many people already know from experience” – that “workplace discrimination isn’t an occasional misstep, it’s a pattern that continues to shape careers, opportunities and workplace culture”.

She added: “The fact that so many individuals feel they’ve been overlooked, undervalued or even excluded entirely because of their identity is a red flag for organisations that claim to be inclusive.”

Paul Sesay, founder and CEO of Inclusive Companies, highlighted a “direct correlation between difficulties in diverse hiring and discrimination at interview stage and within the workplace”.

He said: “Even if diverse hires are made, underrepresentation, lack of training and education among colleagues and bias across a business will, ultimately, see the diverse hire fail because of the lack of inclusion and equity.

The most reported form of discrimination was ageism.

The survey found that 15% of respondents felt their age had prevented them from securing a job, while 19% said they had faced ageism at some point in their careers.

57% of those aged 18 to 34 said they had experienced discrimination at work, with 59% encountering bias in hiring. In contrast, 31% of those aged 35 and older reported workplace discrimination.

Discrimination against parents and carers was also widespread.

An average of 11% of respondents said they had been treated unfairly due to caregiving responsibilities.

Among those caring for both a child and an older or disabled relative, 30% reported discrimination.

Emily Andrews, deputy director for work at the Centre for Ageing Better, said ageism was “damaging for individuals, employers and the economy”.

She explained: “Ageism is the prejudice that is hidden in plain sight.

“It’s so embedded in our society that it’s even become normalised and passively accepted by those of us who are older.

“It’s also short-sighted of businesses to deprive themselves of all the advantages that having older workers and a multigenerational workforce brings when combining skills, knowledge and experience.”

Sesay warned that excluding older workers meant “an organisation lose their highly valuable knowledge, wisdom, experience and loyalty”.

He added: “The human cost is immeasurable as older people lose their sense of self-worth and lose out on income and pension contributions if they feel the need to reduce or end their working hours.”

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said jobs should be based on “skills and motivation and not how they look or their birth certificate”.

The survey also revealed that workplace discrimination disproportionately affected employees from ethnic minority backgrounds.

76% of Black, Black British, Caribbean or African respondents reported discrimination at work or during job applications.

Among Asian and Asian British respondents, 65% said they had faced discrimination in professional settings.

39% of Black respondents and 31% of Asian respondents reported experiencing racism or ethnic-based discrimination.

In contrast, 5.2% of white respondents felt they had been discriminated against due to ethnicity.

Sesay said: “Discrimination will stop diverse talent in its tracks.

“Excellent colleagues will be lost if their environment doesn’t welcome or include them. And the problem will persist until the culture changes.”

Mutuma explained that discrimination was not always “overt bias” but could manifest as the “quiet, accumulative impact of microaggressions, exclusion from key projects or the ‘not the right fit’ excuse used to justify missed promotions”.

Mutuma urged businesses to “move beyond awareness and into action” if they were serious about tackling discrimination.

She said:

“This starts with honest conversations at the top – where are the blind spots in recruitment?”

“How are promotions really being decided? Do leaders create space for diverse voices, or just expect them to conform?

“Training is useful, but only when paired with accountability, psychological safety and policies that are enforced rather than just written down.

“The real challenge for businesses isn’t acknowledging that it exists – it’s deciding whether they’re willing to be part of the solution.”

Sesay added that managers must recognise discrimination is “not always loud or easy to spot”.

He advised: “Invest in training for leaders on inclusive management practices, encourage them to value diverse perspectives and create a culture of respect.

“Introduce mandatory diversity and inclusion training for all employees to explain unconscious bias, cultural sensitivity and inclusive communication.

“Ensure this is part of every new colleague’s onboarding process to build a strong, resilient and respectful culture from the ground up.”