• What JEDI1.1 Requires
• When to choose a facilitated discussion
• When to choose a worker survey
• A quick decision guide

This article explains how to decide whether a worker survey or a facilitated discussion is the better fit for your company when complying with the JEDI1.1 requirement. It is written for Small companies that are required to carry out either a discussion or a survey on Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI) principles in the workplace. 

What JEDI1.1 Requires

Under JEDI1.1, companies with more than 10 and fewer than 50 workers (based on headcount) must run at least one discussion or survey about JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion) principles in the workplace in the 12 months before Year 0 and in each year after that.

You can choose either:

• a worker survey, or

• a facilitated discussion.

The goal is to understand how workers experience justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in your company, so that you can make informed choices about which JEDI actions to take later under JEDI2. JEDI1 is therefore not a “nice to have” check‑in; it is the information‑gathering step that directly shapes your JEDI2 priorities and actions. 

2. When to choose a facilitated discussion

Why the standards allow a discussion instead of a survey
The standards recognise that in smaller companies, ensuring anonymity in surveys can be difficult – a handful of responses can easily be linked back to individuals. In those cases, a live facilitated conversation may feel safer and more meaningful than a formal questionnaire. 

You might lean toward a facilitated discussion if:

• Your team is small (+/- 25), and people would be easily identifiable in survey data.

• There is enough trust for people to share experiences in a group.

• You are looking for richer stories, examples, and dialogue.

In a discussion, the aim is to hear directly from workers about how they experience inclusion, fairness, respect, and belonging in your workplace. This qualitative insight is often what helps make JEDI actions concrete and relevant.

Minimum requirements for a discussion under JEDI1.1
To count for JEDI1.1, a discussion should, at a minimum:

• last at least one hour, and

• produce anonymized notes that capture the key themes, not just attendance. 

Important Note: Facilitating a safe and useful discussion
Because JEDI conversations can be sensitive, how you facilitate is as important as what you ask. B Lab’s guidance notes that JEDI‑related training and sessions “may be carried out by an internal or external facilitator.” It’s valuable to think about who should lead a safe discussion. You can use:

• an internal facilitator (for example, a trained HR or People lead), or

• an external facilitator, if internal trust is low or the topics are particularly sensitive.

Good practice for a discussion about JEDI includes:

• Explaining the purpose at the start: to understand workers’ experiences so the company can improve.

• Being clear about what will happen with the notes and who will see them.

• Agreeing on simple ground rules together (for example: one person speaks at a time; any personal stories stay in the room; disagree with ideas, not people).

• Making participation voluntary and allowing people to pass on questions they do not want to answer.

• Using open questions such as “Do you feel you have the same opportunities as others?” or “Do you feel listened to when you raise concerns?”

• Closing by summarising what you heard, checking you have understood correctly, and explaining the next steps (how this will feed into JEDI2).

If you are unsure whether your team would feel comfortable speaking openly, or if there have been recent conflicts or tensions, it can be wise to bring in an experienced external facilitator.

Evidence to document in case of a discussion
For JEDI1.1, examples of evidence include:

• Discussion notes for each required year

• Date and duration of the discussion

• Agenda, handouts, or slides used

• Communications inviting workers (emails, intranet posts)

• Worker interviews, if used.

• Optional: interview notes if you follow up individually with workers to deepen specific points. 

If you produce a transcript or recording, ensure this is agreed with participants in advance and stored securely.

When to choose a worker survey

A worker survey can be more appropriate if:

• Workers strongly prefer anonymity.

• You already run regular surveys (for example, on engagement or culture) and can add JEDI-focused questions.

• You want quantitative results that you can compare over time or disaggregate by group.

In many companies, it is efficient to build JEDI1.1 into existing surveys—for example, by adding a JEDI block to a workplace culture survey used for Fair Work FW4. 

Designing effective JEDI survey questions
Good survey questions often mirror what you might ask in a discussion, for example:

• Do you feel you are treated with respect at work?

• Do you feel you have equal opportunities for development and promotion?

• Do you feel comfortable raising concerns?

• Do you feel you belong in this workplace?

Workers must be able to participate voluntarily and “choose to remain anonymous.”, Find more information in this article on how to collect data anonymously and voluntarily. 

Evidence to document in case of a survey
Examples include:

• Survey results for each required year (ideally in a format that allows disaggregation, while protecting anonymity).

• The date the survey was run.

• A copy of the survey, showing the JEDI‑related questions.

• Communications inviting workers to take part (emails, intranet posts, message board announcements).

• Any follow‑up interview notes if you spoke to workers to better understand the results.

A quick decision guide

A practical way to decide between a survey or discussion is to ask three questions:

1. Where will workers feel safest and most heard?

   1. If trust is higher in group spaces, a well‑facilitated discussion can work well.

   2. If anonymity is a strong concern, a survey is usually better.

2. What kind of insight do you need most right now?

   1. If you need rich stories and context to understand what’s happening, choose a discussion.

   2. If you need numbers and trends over time or by group, choose a survey.

3. What can you run well with the resources you have?

   1. If you can invest in facilitation (internal or external), a discussion can be powerful.

   2. If you already have good survey tools and HR analytics, a survey may be easier to implement and repeat.

Whichever option you choose, three principles stay the same:

• Listen carefully and act on what you learn. JEDI1 data is meant to directly inform your JEDI2 actions and priorities, not sit in a drawer. 

• Protect workers’ safety and dignity. Make participation voluntary, clarify how information will be used, and design the process to minimise risk to participants. 

• Close the loop. Share back what you heard or found, and explain what you will do next and how workers can stay involved.

Approaching JEDI1.1 in this way helps ensure that your compliance step also becomes a meaningful engine for change: building insight, trust, and momentum for your wider JEDI commitments as a B Corp.