One in 10 people in Britain feel self-conscious or anxious about their accents when speaking during business meetings or intense work scenarios, new research has found. The study, by the non-profit research agency More in Common, surveyed 3,300 adults across England, Wales and Scotland and found that some believe their accent has held them back from progressing in their careers.
Regional differences in accent anxiety
The poll, commissioned by the organisation Common Ground, found that Geordies were the most likely to feel anxious at work due to their accent. People with a Cockney accent from east London came second, with 19% saying they felt anxiety over this at work, while people with Welsh accents came third at 18%.
The accent with the highest rate of participants saying their voice was mocked at work by colleagues was the West Country accent, at 15%. Geordie accents came second in this category at 13%.
Impact on careers and promotions
Around 5% of participants said they believed their accents have stopped them from getting a promotion in their career. Among participants with Brummie accents, 13% said they felt their voice had cost them a promotion.
Lara Newman, founder of Common Ground, which works to encourage social cohesion, said she has worked in the property industry for decades and changed her accent for her career. Speaking to the BBC, she said: "I am incredibly realistic about what would have happened had I gone to university or gone into the workplace with a strong west country accent. I felt like that was going to be an issue for me."
The organisation founder said accents could create barriers for disadvantaged people from different regions of the country. Lara added: "I think there is a problem in the sense that [an accent] implies a level of education or otherwise. It implies class."
Personal experiences with accent bias
Mia Tanswell, 22, from Manchester, told the BBC her accent did not impact her until she moved to Loughborough for university. She said: "I knew people were going to notice that I was northern and that I didn't speak the 'Queen's English'. Definitely in seminars I would sometimes feel like my accent would sound a bit less intellectual than other people, especially if I was the only northern student in the classroom."
Despite this, Martha Powell, from Newport, said she wished her accent was more Welsh despite her fears that people could "make assumptions" about her based on her voice. She said: "I wish I would be able to stand out a little bit more, but I think I adapt my accent depending on where I am in the country."
