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Workplace culture is shaped by the everyday behaviours, attitudes and decisions that influence how work gets done and how people are treated. It includes what is expected, what is rewarded, and what behaviour is challenged – or allowed to pass without comment.

Culture often develops informally over time and can be hard to recognise from the inside. Practices that feel ‘normal’ may still disadvantage some staff, particularly women and other groups who face structural inequality at work.

Workplace culture matters because it affects who feels valued, safe and supported, and who is able to progress. A culture that tolerates bias, silence or unequal treatment can reinforce inequality, damage wellbeing and increase the risk of problems escalating. A positive and inclusive culture, by contrast, helps build trust, retain skills and support fair outcomes.

This test will help you understand how your workplace culture operates in practice, and identify where changes to behaviours, norms or decision-making could support a fairer, safer and more inclusive working environment.

Workplace culture is shaped by everyday interactions, behaviours and assumptions about who has power, whose voices are heard, and what behaviour is seen as acceptable. These norms often go unspoken, but they have a real impact on how people experience work.

Gender inequality means women generally have less power and status at work than men. This can be reinforced through everyday behaviours, such as who is interrupted in meetings, whose ideas are taken seriously, who is expected to take on administrative or support tasks, and whose behaviour is excused or challenged.

For many women, inequality shows up through everyday sexism and microaggressions – subtle or routine behaviours that undermine, exclude or diminish them. This can include sexist jokes dismissed as ‘banter’, assumptions about competence or commitment, or language that infantilises or sexualises women. While these behaviours may be minimised, their cumulative impact can be significant.

Power imbalances are often more pronounced for some groups of women, including disabled women, racially minoritised women, younger and older women, and mothers. When women experience overlapping forms of inequality, they may be less likely to feel safe challenging inappropriate behaviour or raising concerns.

When sexist behaviour and microaggressions go unchallenged, it sends a message about what is tolerated. This can create a culture where women feel undervalued, unsafe or unable to speak up, and where more serious forms of discrimination or harassment are more likely to occur.

Understanding how power and everyday behaviour operate in your business is a key first step in creating a workplace culture that is respectful, inclusive and fair for all staff.

Workplace culture strongly influences how decisions are made – including who is recruited, who progresses, who gets access to development opportunities, and whose work is recognised and rewarded. Even where there is no intention to discriminate, bias can shape decisions in ways that disadvantage women.

Bias often shows up in informal or discretionary decision-making, particularly where criteria are unclear or decisions rely heavily on individual judgement. This can include assumptions about who is ambitious, who is ‘leadership material’, who can take on additional responsibility, or who is seen as reliable or committed. The phenomenon known as affinity bias means people are more likely to favour those they see as similar to themselves, which can result in the same groups repeatedly benefiting from opportunities.

Access to opportunity is also influenced by informal networks, especially where development opportunities, high-profile projects or promotions are discussed or offered through informal conversations, after-work socialising, or visibility in the workplace. Women are less likely to have equal access to these networks, particularly where opportunities depend on long hours, presenteeism, or activities that exclude carers.

These patterns can have cumulative effects. When women see that senior roles, leadership opportunities or influential projects consistently go to men, it can discourage them from applying or putting themselves forward. This reinforces inequality and limits your business’s ability to make the best use of skills and talent.

Understanding how bias and informal decision-making operate in your business – including how opportunities are identified, discussed and allocated, and who is involved in those decisions – is essential to creating a workplace culture where progression is transparent, fair and based on skills and experience rather than assumptions or visibility.

Workplace culture often sends strong signals about what is valued and rewarded. In many organisations, this includes an expectation to work long hours, be constantly available, or be physically present in the workplace. These norms are often described as presenteeism and can disadvantage people who are unable to work in this way.

Presenteeism and proximity bias tend to favour employees who are visible in the workplace, and can result in those who work flexibly, part-time, or remotely being perceived as less committed or less suitable for progression. Women are more likely to be affected by this, as they continue to do the majority of unpaid care for children and other family members, and are more likely to rely on flexible or hybrid working.

These cultural norms also contribute to the motherhood penalty. Women who are pregnant, returning from maternity leave, or balancing work with caring responsibilities are often assumed to be less ambitious or less capable, while fathers may experience a ‘fatherhood bonus’, where their commitment is viewed more positively. This can influence decisions about progression, pay, and access to opportunities.

Presenteeism can also create barriers for disabled women, particularly where flexibility or home working would act as a reasonable adjustment. Where long hours or physical presence are treated as indicators of performance or commitment, disabled staff may be unfairly disadvantaged.

Understanding how attitudes to flexibility, visibility and availability operate in your business – including how performance, commitment and leadership potential are assessed – is an important step in creating a workplace culture that supports carers, disabled women and others who need flexibility, without limiting progression or opportunity.

Workplace culture plays a central role in whether staff feel safe, respected and able to speak up. Where sexist behaviour, inappropriate comments or boundary-crossing are normalised or dismissed, this creates an environment in which sexual harassment is more likely to occur.

Sexual harassment is not just about the behaviour of individuals – it is closely linked to power imbalances and workplace norms. It is more common in workplaces where women have less power or representation, where sexist ‘banter’ goes unchallenged, or where complaints are minimised or treated as over-reactions.

Many women do not report sexual harassment when it happens. This is often because they fear they will not be believed, that the behaviour will be dismissed as trivial, or that reporting will lead to negative consequences for them. An absence of complaints does not mean there is no problem – it may indicate a culture of silence.

When inappropriate behaviour goes unchallenged, it sends a message about what is tolerated. This can undermine trust, damage wellbeing, and affect morale and retention. It also exposes your business to legal and reputational risk, as employers have a duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment at work.

Understanding how dignity, respect and safety are experienced in your workplace – including whether staff feel confident raising concerns and believe they will be taken seriously – is a key part of creating a culture where everyone is treated fairly and harassment is not allowed to take root.

Workplace culture shapes how seriously health and wellbeing are taken, and whether people feel able to ask for support. When women’s health needs or disabled women’s experiences are overlooked or minimised, it sends a message about who is valued at work.

Women’s health is often treated as a private issue rather than a workplace one. This can include stigma or discomfortaround menstruation, menopause, pregnancy-related health needs, or mental health. Where these issues are not acknowledged, women may struggle in silence, reduce their hours, or leave work altogether.

Disabled women may face additional barriers linked to inaccessible environments, rigid working patterns, or a lack of understanding about reasonable adjustments. Cultural attitudes – such as seeing reasonable adjustments as a ‘favour’ rather than a legal requirement (and a normal part of good employment practice) – can make it harder for disabled staff to ask for what they need.

Health and safety also has a cultural dimension. Assumptions about ‘standard’ bodies, roles or risks can result in women being exposed to avoidable harm, for example where equipment, uniforms or facilities are not designed with women in mind. When these issues go unchallenged, they reinforce exclusion and signal that certain workers are an afterthought.

Understanding how health, wellbeing and inclusion are experienced in your workplace – including whether staff feel supported, believed and able to raise concerns – is an important part of creating a culture where everyone can participate fully and work safely.

Workplace culture is not accidental. It is shaped every day by the actions, decisions and behaviours of those with responsibility and influence – particularly business owners, senior leaders and line managers.

Leaders set the tone for what is valued and acceptable at work. This includes how people are treated, how decisions are made, how concerns are handled, and whether equality and inclusion are taken seriously in practice, not just in principle. What leaders challenge, ignore or excuse sends a powerful message to staff.

Line managers play a key role in how culture is experienced on a day-to-day basis. Their confidence, consistency and understanding of equality issues can determine whether policies are applied fairly, whether staff feel supported, and whether problems are addressed early or allowed to escalate.

Accountability is also essential. Where leaders are clear about expectations, transparent in decision-making, and willing to reflect on feedback, it helps build trust and psychological safety. Where there is no follow-through, or where responsibility is unclear, inequality and poor behaviour are more likely to persist.

Creating an inclusive workplace culture requires ongoing attention. Understanding who is responsible for setting standards, modelling behaviour and responding to issues is a critical step in ensuring culture supports fairness, dignity and opportunity for all staff.

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