New research shows that more than 40% of UK employees may be contributing less than they are able to at work

Oxford, Tuesday, 22nd September 2026 - A growing number of employees may be staying silent at work, not because they have nothing to say, but because speaking up does not feel safe, worthwhile or effective - a phenomenon being highlighted this year as “Talent Hushing.”

That is the warning from Psychological Safety Week, which returns from 21–25 September 2026 with a call for employers to confront the hidden organisational cost of silence at work.

Hosted by business psychologists Pearn Kandola, the free international initiative will bring together employers, people leaders and business psychologists to examine how and why people hold back ideas, questions, concerns and ambition - and what organisations can do to change it.

This year, Personnel Today joins as headline sponsor, with several new sponsors and founding sponsors returning to support this year’s edition.

The hidden business risk of silence

While workplace debate has focused on burnout, engagement and retention, Psychological Safety Week 2026 is turning attention to a quieter problem with serious consequences: employees censoring themselves because they do not believe it is safe, useful or welcome to speak openly, which business psychology firm Pearn Kandola has titled ‘Talent Hushing’. Psychological Safety Week 2026 was officially launched yesterday with a keynote exploring the firm’s brand-new research into Talent Hushing, hosted by Professor Binna Kandola OBE.

Professor Binna Kandola OBE, Co-founder and Senior Partner at Pearn Kandola, said:

“After our astonishing inaugural year, we are delighted to be back for Psychological Safety Week 2026, supported by our wonderful sponsors, who help to bring this event to the wider world.

This year’s theme, Talent Hushing, highlights both the organisational risks and missed opportunities when those with the best ideas feel they will not be heard – or that it’s simply safer to stay quiet. In our research, conducted in July, we found that 43% of UK adults said they contribute less than they are capable of, due to their experiences at work. It’s a shocking figure that demonstrates how Talent Hushing could well be a national productivity issue.”

What the week will cover

Running from 21–25 September 2026, Psychological Safety Week offers free live webinars, practical resources and expert insight to help organisations understand the conditions that determine whether people speak up - or stay quiet.

Why it matters now

At a time of economic pressure, rapid change and rising workplace complexity, organisations increasingly depend on employees being willing to flag risks, challenge assumptions, ask difficult questions and offer new ideas.

But if people do not believe their voice will be welcomed - or that it will make any difference - many will choose silence instead.

Psychological Safety Week 2026 aims to help employers recognise the patterns and dynamics that lead to talent hushing and to instead build cultures where people feel safe to contribute, challenge and collaborate.

Register for free

Psychological Safety Week is open to organisations and individuals committed to building high-performing, inclusive and innovative workplaces.

To find out more and register for free, visit psychologicalsafetyweek.com

Backed by leading organisations

Alongside Personnel Today, Psychological Safety Week 2026 brings back several founding sponsors, with new support from global organisations, reflecting growing recognition across sectors that psychological safety is not a “nice to have”, but a core condition for performance, trust and inclusion.

A full list of the sponsors for 2026 can be found here: https://www.psychologicalsafetyweek.com/sponsors

About Pearn Kandola

Pearn Kandola LLP is a business psychology consultancy that has been transforming leaders, teams and organisations globally since 1984. For more than four decades, the firm has worked with organisations to apply evidence-based insight to make workplaces fairer and more effective.

Pearn Kandola LLP

grace@pearnkandola.com

https://pearnkandola.com

ereynolds@pearnkandola.com

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