Drawn directly from our survey of 1000+ UK Black Professionals. Interact with the charts below to understand the undeniable systemic mechanics of the Excellence Tax™.
"How often do you feel you must work harder than others to be seen as competent?"
Percentage feeling the need to tone down voice, hair, or emotions to succeed.
"To what extent do you believe your physical or emotional health has been impacted?"
The Institute's research indicates that the physiological toll of hypervigilance leads directly to severe burnout. A significant percentage of senior staff are actively planning workplace exits purely for health preservation.
68% considered leaving in the last 12 months
How professionals manage the stress of workplace extraction.
"How safe do you feel expressing your opinions or advocating for yourself?"
"As a senior leader, I realise that I have to be far 'noisier' than my preference, as this is not a known, seemingly acceptable, preferred style for a black female. I know that I will work longer hours than my peers... I have to smile through errors of judgement, or displays of bad behaviour."
Senior Leader
South West England
"...the majority of black professionals who have been in employment pre-George Floyd have experienced a change in their work environment... We are slowly becoming familiar with the 'new world' but we do not yet trust it! The ground can shift quite swiftly from beneath us."
Mid-Level Professional
Healthcare Sector
"The exhaustion isn't from the work itself. I am excellent at my job. The exhaustion comes from the constant calculation of how my excellence will be received, perceived, and penalised. It is a full-time job on top of my actual job."
Executive Director
Financial Services
The Cost of Black Excellence™ Research Institute operates on the principle that the lived experiences of Black and BAME professionals must be treated as undeniable, empirical data. Our methodology is designed to translate systemic, often invisible, workplace trauma into measurable organisational metrics.
The data visualised on this dashboard is drawn from a targeted, proprietary survey of 1000+ Black and BAME professionals operating within the United Kingdom, USA, Canada and Australia.. This highly focused dataset ensures a deep, qualitative understanding of the Excellence Tax™ across various career trajectories, rather than relying on broad, diluted demographic averages.
Our research employs a mixed-methods framework. Quantitative data measures the frequency and severity of identity suppression, health impacts, and the 'Competency Tax'. Qualitative data (gathered via free-text survey responses and subsequent in-depth interviews) maps the precise mechanics of how this extraction occurs on a daily basis.
All data is anonymised and aggregated prior to analysis to protect the identities of participants discussing sensitive workplace experiences. For more information on how we handle and protect research data, please view our Governance & Ethics policy.