Green shoots of progress noted, but positive experiences are far from universal
Thursday 8 May 2025, UK: A new research based report launched today reveals a complex picture of the current state of leadership and culture in the utilities sector.
Of the 300 respondents surveyed by Womens Utilities Network (WUN) and The Marketing Pod, an impressive 94% said that their employer offered benefits or initiatives aimed at supporting a work-life balance, with over two-thirds (69%) stating that the leadership team takes workplace culture and wellbeing seriously. However, the remaining 31% were ambivalent or completely disagreed.
Interestingly, 75% do not see salary as their top priority, with job flexibility being rated more highly by respondents.
Could accidental ‘wellbeing washing’ be at play?
Despite a clear commitment to taking culture and wellbeing seriously, the research found that 56% of respondents only feel encouraged to reach their true potential ‘sometimes’ or ‘occasionally’ and just 48% believe that part-time workers have the same rights as full-time colleagues.
In addition, over a third (35%) said that they feel guilty if they make use of the flexible working available to them, and 36% admitted to feeling guilty if they have to leave work earlier than their colleagues, with one respondent saying, ‘Sometimes it [healthy workplace culture] feels like lip service rather than true action.’
Just 53% said they always feel free to be their authentic self at work and 28% of women admitted that they only feel comfortable with a close circle of colleagues.
This would suggest that the sector needs to pay far closer attention to a more genuine fostering of a supportive culture.
Inappropriate behaviour is still regularly dismissed as ‘banter’
Exactly half of the survey respondents admitted to witnessing or experiencing inappropriate behaviour in the workplace that was dismissed as banter.
Of that number, more than a third (35%) said they did not feel able to speak up about it – and 56% said that the behaviour wasn’t addressed by their organisation.
In the 222 cases reported by our respondents, only 19 resulted in a written warning, and just 21 in disciplinary action. In 55 cases, no measures were taken when an instance of inappropriate behaviour was reported.
Commenting on the findings, Jo Butlin, co-founder at WUN said: ‘Following last year’s report on the presence of unconscious bias in the utilities sector, we wanted to gain a more thorough understanding of the daily realities of working in utilities today.
‘While it’s encouraging to know that the majority feel that their employers take culture and wellbeing seriously, it is clear that leadership teams must ensure that company policy is more deeply embedded throughout their organisation.
‘To help this become a reality, the report suggests some clear, practical actions to guide organisations and individuals towards achieving a genuinely positive working environment. These are steps that we look forward to sharing with our network.’
Jenny Hughes, co-founder and director of The Marketing Pod, which specialises in utilities and sustainability, added, ‘With 1 in 25 jobs in the UK currently supported by the energy industry alone, the utilities sector has a distinct opportunity to drive real, positive change for the UK’s entire workplace culture.
‘I am not surprised to see that flexibility is rated so highly by the respondents. Our own experience of offering a hybrid working policy pays real dividends, particularly in terms of talent retention and recruitment.
‘If we are to see real change in future, it is important that an organisation’s internal culture mirrors the inclusive values that are often promoted externally.’
The survey was shared through the networks of WUN and The Marketing Pod during February and March 2025, resulting in 300 responses. 281 of the respondents were female, 18 were male and one was non-binary. The majority were aged between 25 and 54, have spent a minimum of five years working in utilities and 83% were in middle or senior management roles.
