UK Poll Finds 10% of Workers Feel Accent Anxiety at Work, With Geordies and Cockneys Highest
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 23
UK Poll Finds 10% of Workers Feel Accent Anxiety at Work, With Geordies and Cockneys Highest
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 23
Summary
One in 10 people in Britain said they feel anxious or self-conscious about their accent in high-stakes workplace settings, according to a poll of more than 3,300 adults across England, Scotland and Wales.
Geordie and Cockney speakers reported the highest workplace accent anxiety at 19%, followed by Welsh speakers at 18%, suggesting regional speech still shapes how workers expect to be judged.
Around 5% said their accent had cost them a promotion, pay rise or senior role, while 13% of Brummies were most likely to report that and 15% of West Country speakers said colleagues had mocked or criticised their accent.
The pressure appears to change behavior: 13% of respondents said they soften or alter their accent to sound more professional, and campaigners say accent still carries assumptions about class and education.
Employers and recruiters cited in the report said hiring is increasingly focused on skills rather than polish, but acknowledged accent bias remains less advanced nationally than other diversity issues.