As a founding signatory of the Elevate Pledge, the launch of the fifth Annual Report marks an important milestone in the ongoing effort to create workplaces where everyone can thrive.
Created by Business in the Community Ireland, Elevate: the Inclusive Workplace Pledge supports businesses in creating more inclusive and equitable workplaces, with the ambition of building a workforce that reflects all members of Irish society.
Five years of progress
This year marks five years since Business in the Community Ireland launched the Elevate Pledge, a campaign born out of inequalities exposed during the Covid-19 pandemic and designed to help organisations move beyond statements of intent and towards accountability and action.
Since then, more than 60 companies, representing over 150,000 employees, have committed to the pledge by measuring their workforce and taking practical steps to support inclusion.
The newly published Elevate Updates 2026 report provides important insight into the diversity profile of participating workforces, the trends emerging over five years of longitudinal data, and where businesses need to focus next to create greater impact.
stronger disclosure and employee trust
improved representation across a number of groups
greater psychological safety
clearer inclusion strategies
fairer recruitment practices
practical supports such as inclusion passports
The report shows positive progress, including:
While continued focus is needed, as key findings include:
- Women in leadership remain above national averages, but representation dropped from 45% in 2025 to 41% in 2026, showing how quickly gains can slip.
- Disability, ethnicity and LGBTQIA+ representation have increased significantly, although this has been driven largely by improved disclosure and trust rather than transformational shifts in hiring.
- Traveller representation remains critically low, highlighting the deep-rooted barriers still faced by this community.
- Socio-economic inequality continues to be a hidden barrier, often overlooked because of limited data.
To explore the findings in more detail and learn more about the Elevate Pledge, please
