Jan 20 2026 | theoutcastcollective
At The Outcast Collective, our mission has always been to enable safer, equitable, and truly inclusive workplaces. We recognise that DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) extends far beyond policies and headcounts. It is shaped by intent, strategic action, and deep commitment to culture change. Research by McKinsey shows that organisations with diverse and inclusive teams are up to 36% more likely to outperform financially. Employees feel a sense of belonging and are significantly more engaged and productive. Similarly, global studies indicate that psychologically safe workplaces report higher trust, lower attrition, and better innovation outcomes.
Throughout 2025, our work focused on embedding inclusion into everyday organisational practices. We partnered with organisations to move from awareness to action, supporting them with context-specific roadmaps, leadership interventions, and sustenance plans that enabled long-term cultural shift. Our interventions spanned all levels of the organisation, from contractual and shop-floor employees to senior leadership and boards, ensuring that inclusion and safety were not limited to the top but experienced across the workforce.
We also strengthened organisational responses to workplace safety by establishing and reinforcing POSH frameworks, not merely as a compliance requirement but as a culture of respect and accountability. Through awareness programmes, manager enablement, and Internal Committee capacity building, we helped organisations create environments where employees- across roles, hierarchies, and employment types felt informed, supported, and confident to speak up.
Some of the key highlights of our work in DEI and POSH are shared below.
2025 Highlights: Strengthening DEI in Practice
Inclusive Leadership Workshops
Delivered inclusive leadership workshops for senior leadership and management teams across organisations in the supply chain, logistics, and manufacturing sectors. The process began with targeted diagnostics to understand the organisational context, key pain points, and areas of conflict. Drawing from these insights, we facilitated leadership sessions that addressed bias in decision-making, gender representation gaps, and multigenerational workplace dynamics. Working closely with leadership teams, we co-created practical roadmaps to embed inclusive behaviours, strengthen accountability, and support the development of more equitable and inclusive workplace cultures.
Multigenerational Workforce
With four generations working simultaneously, and Millennials and Gen Z rapidly becoming the majority of the workforce, organisations are experiencing new forms of workplace friction. Differences in communication styles, feedback expectations, work ethics, and definitions of success often lead to misunderstandings and conflict. Studies indicate that organisations that effectively manage generational diversity experience higher engagement, reduced attrition, and stronger team performance, reinforcing the importance of intentional leadership in this space. Through focused interventions, we helped leaders recognise and address these generational dynamics by providing conflict-management frameworks, communication tools, and collaboration strategies.
DEI Diagnostics and Culture Sensing
Recognising that inclusion cannot be addressed through generic solutions, we conducted deep-dive DEI diagnostics and culture-sensing exercises. These included focus group discussions and one-on-one interviews with leaders, managers, employees, and contractual workers to surface lived experiences, systemic gaps, and unspoken challenges. The insights gathered enabled us to design context-specific interventions rather than one-size-fits-all programmes. Data-driven and qualitative diagnostics are increasingly recognised as critical to successful DEI initiatives, as organisations that tailor interventions to their cultural realities are more likely to achieve sustainable change.
Gender Sensitisation and Allyship
We conducted multiple gender sensitisation and allyship workshops aimed at building awareness of unconscious bias, power dynamics, and psychological safety at work. These sessions helped organisations take foundational steps toward inclusion by encouraging reflection, dialogue, and shared responsibility. To ensure learning translated into behaviour change, we designed sustenance plans with bi-weekly nudges that reinforced key concepts beyond the workshops. Research consistently shows that ongoing reinforcement, rather than one-time training, is essential for shifting mindsets and embedding inclusive behaviours into daily workplace practices.
POSH in 2025: From Compliance to Awareness
POSH Awareness and Compliance
Our POSH work consciously moved beyond statutory compliance to building awareness, preparedness, and trust across organisations. We conducted multiple POSH awareness sessions for employees, managers, and leadership teams, focusing on recognising sexual harassment, understanding reporting mechanisms, and responding appropriately to concerns.
A key focus area was enabling managers as first responders, equipping them with the skills to handle disclosures sensitively, manage escalations responsibly, and guide employees through formal processes when required. This approach is critical, as global research consistently shows that employees are more likely to report concerns when they trust the process and feel supported by management. In parallel, we supported organisations with case investigations, strengthening procedural integrity and reinforcing confidence in internal redressal systems.
Multi-lingual Blue Collar Workshops
To ensure inclusion across the workforce, we conducted 100+ POSH awareness workshops for contractual and blue-collar employees across India, delivered in multiple regional languages. These sessions addressed power dynamics, consent, reporting mechanisms, and bystander responsibility in accessible, context-relevant formats. These sessions were significant given that awareness gaps are a key barrier to reporting in shop-floor environments.
Global IC Capacity Building Sessions
Well-trained Internal Committees are essential to effective POSH implementation. Research highlights that ICs with regular training and case exposure are more likely to conduct timely and fair inquiries, reinforcing organisational credibility and compliance. We conducted several interactive training programmes for global Internal Committees, strengthening their understanding of POSH roles, responsibilities, timelines, and procedural requirements. These sessions incorporated real-life scenarios and regional context, and included the principle of fairness and confidentiality.
TTT Programs
Our 2-day intensive POSH Train-the-Trainer (TTT) certification programme was designed to build strong conceptual clarity and facilitation capability among participants. The programme went beyond theoretical understanding, requiring participants to demonstrate competence through structured teach-backs, facilitation practice, and rigorous assessments before certification. This hands-on approach ensured that certified trainers were not only legally and procedurally sound but also equipped to engage diverse audiences with confidence and sensitivity.
Diversity Dialogues: Creating Spaces for Conversation and Learning
Webinars
Throughout 2025, we hosted a series of open webinars designed to create accessible spaces for dialogue, learning, and reflection on critical workplace issues. Topics included psychological safety at work, strengthening POSH Internal Committees, and understanding the implications of the DPDP Act, among others.
These sessions brought together subject matter experts, practitioners, and participants from diverse sectors to explore how individuals and organisations can collaborate to build more inclusive, ethical, and legally compliant workplaces. The interactive format encouraged meaningful engagement, with participants raising real workplace dilemmas and receiving practical, experience-based responses. By demystifying complex concepts and addressing frequently asked questions, the webinars helped translate intent into informed action.
POSH IC Capacity Building Program
We conducted a 2-day in-depth POSH IC certification programme aimed at strengthening the capability and confidence of Internal Committee members. The programme offered a comprehensive understanding of the roles, responsibilities, and statutory obligations of IC members under the POSH framework.
Using real-life scenarios, detailed case studies, and role-play exercises, participants explored common grey areas in POSH inquiries, such as assessing evidence, conducting sensitive interviews, maintaining confidentiality, and ensuring procedural fairness. The programme also focused on essential competencies for IC members, including neutrality, empathy, ethical judgment, and effective documentation and reporting. By combining legal clarity with practical application, the programme enabled IC members to navigate complex cases with greater confidence, consistency, and integrity, strengthening trust in organisational redressal mechanisms.
2026 Trends and Plan
DEI Trends for 2026
In 2026, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion must shift from intent to systemic, measurable, and leadership-driven action. Organisations that position DEI as a strategic business, rather than a compliance or branding exercise, will be better equipped to sustain performance, relevance, and trust.
- Closing Gaps Through Inclusive Leadership – Organisations must prioritise inclusive leadership as a core leadership capability, not an optional skill. Closing leadership gaps requires equipping leaders with practical tools, decision-making frameworks, and accountability mechanisms that embed inclusion into business strategy. According to Harvard Business Review, inclusive organisations are 73% more likely to drive innovation, make better decisions, and outperform financially. In 2026, DEI outcomes must be directly linked to leadership effectiveness, team performance, and business growth.
- Inclusive Language as the Starting Point – Organisations must adopt inclusive language as a foundational DEI practice. Language often reveals unconscious bias and influences how policies, recruitment processes, performance reviews, and daily interactions are designed and experienced. Using inclusive and respectful language helps employees feel seen, valued, and included, strengthening belonging and engagement. This, in turn, improves talent attraction, retention, and workforce morale.
- Advancing Women into Leadership – To close gender gaps, organisations must move beyond statements of intent and take sustained, targeted action to support women’s career progression. McKinsey data shows that women in early career stages face disproportionate barriers related to promotions, access to stretch assignments, and leadership exposure. In 2026, organisations must implement policies, leadership programs, and career-enabling initiatives that address these structural barriers and enable women to progress into leadership roles.
- Multigenerational Leadership and Accountability – With four generations working together and Millennials and Gen Z increasingly taking leadership roles, organisations must redesign DEI efforts to reflect changing expectations around transparency, accountability, and inclusion. As Gen Z employees challenge authority and hold systems accountable, DEI can no longer be treated as a tick-box exercise. Organisations that rely on superficial initiatives risk disengagement, are seen to have reduced innovation, and a loss of credibility.
- Redefining Systems for Psychological Safety – In 2026, organisations must create psychologically safe workplaces by redefining systems to be transparent, authentic, and inclusive. Leaders and managers play a critical role by modelling professionalism, setting clear boundaries, reinforcing ethical behaviour, and ensuring accountability. DEI efforts must be aligned with organisational values, leadership conduct, and everyday decision-making to create environments where employees can speak up, perform at their best, and thrive.
POSH Trends for 2026
In 2026, organisations must recognise that POSH effectiveness is not determined by the presence of policies alone, but by trust, capability, and everyday workplace culture. The shift must be from legal compliance to building workplaces that are genuinely safe, inclusive, and responsive.
- Integrating POSH and DEI – Organisations must embed POSH within their broader DEI strategy, rather than treating it as a standalone legal requirement. Inclusive workplaces where employees feel respected, represented, and heard are more likely to build confidence in grievance redressal systems. When DEI efforts are strong, employees feel safer raising concerns, even when the respondent holds a position of power. Organisations must align POSH policies, processes, and leadership behaviour with DEI values to strengthen both prevention and response. Ultimately, POSH effectiveness in 2026 will depend on whether employees trust the system.
- Intersectional POSH Approaches – A key trend for 2026 is making POSH intersectional. Employees’ experiences of harassment are shaped by intersecting identities such as gender, caste, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and cultural background. Having diverse representation within the organisation and on the Internal Committee (IC) brings critical perspectives, improves sensitivity in inquiries, and increases trust in the process. Employees are more likely to come forward when they believe their lived realities will be understood and taken seriously.
- Gender Neutral Systems – The use of inclusive language is emerging as a critical POSH trend. Language used in policies, inquiry reports, and communication with parties can either reinforce trust or deepen harm. Avoiding victim-blaming or accusatory tones, using correct terminology, and adopting gender-neutral and inclusive systems signal fairness and professionalism. These practices significantly influence employee confidence in POSH mechanisms.
- Role of HR and Managers in Workplace Safety – In 2026, managers and supervisors will increasingly be trained as first responders. Data indicates that employees are most likely to report concerns initially to their immediate manager rather than to formal committees. Equipping managers with the right tools, language, and information enables them to provide initial support, respond sensitively, and escalate concerns appropriately, reducing harm and rebuilding trust early in the process. HR teams will continue to play a critical role in shaping workplace safety by ensuring policy alignment, facilitating training, supporting ICs, and reinforcing accountability. In 2026, HR’s role will expand from compliance oversight to culture stewardship, embedding safety into everyday people practices.
Conclusion
As organisations navigate increasing complexity, accountability, and evolving workforce expectations, DEI and POSH can no longer be treated as parallel or peripheral efforts. TOC’s work across sectors demonstrated that trust in leadership, processes, and intent is the foundation of psychologically safe and inclusive workplaces. When organisations invest in diagnostics, capability building, and sustained reinforcement, inclusion moves from awareness to action.
As organisations look ahead to 2026, the focus must shift to integrating DEI and POSH as core cultural priorities, strengthening inclusive leadership, adopting intersectional and gender-neutral systems, and enabling managers and Internal Committees to respond effectively. Organisations that align accountability with inclusion outcomes will not only build safer workplaces but also unlock stronger engagement, innovation, and long-term performance.