UK Insurance Sector Launches ‘Inclusive Behaviours Pledge’ to Build Diversity

Insurers, industry bodies and brokers, together with other organizations across the insurance sector, have joined forces to launch a new industry-wide pledge, designed to change behaviors and create a more inclusive work environment across the sector.

Spearheaded by Lloyd’s and Zurich, the “Inclusive Behaviours Pledge” has attracted wide cross-sector support with 50 firms signing up and joining forces to demonstrate the insurance profession’s commitment to transforming its culture.

This pledge builds on the insurance sector’s work and initiatives to drive greater inclusion across the profession, including the global Dive In Festival, now in its fourth year.

The pledge addresses all forms of potential discrimination in the workplace, whether on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnerships, pregnancy/maternity, family and caring responsibilities, race, religion/belief, gender or sexual orientation. It sets out a clear framework of desired behaviors for leaders and their employees in the workplace, as well as in their interactions with suppliers and customers.

Founding pledge signatories Lloyd’s and Zurich are joined by firms such as RSA Insurance, AXA, Willis Towers Watson and Marsh. In addition, the pledge has support from UK trade bodies: The British Insurance Brokers Association, the Association of British Insurers, the Lloyd’s Market Association, and the London & International Insurance Brokers’ Association, with other high profile organizations set to sign up to the Pledge in the coming weeks.

“Having worked in the insurance sector for 36 years, I’ve seen just how far it has come, particularly in the last decade. I’m proud of the progress that has been made, but the job isn’t over yet,” said Inga Beale, CEO, Lloyd’s.

“The Inclusive Behaviours Pledge is a public commitment reinforcing our promise as individual organizations, and as a collective, to challenge inappropriate behavior and create increasingly welcoming and inclusive workplaces for the diverse talent powering our sector,” she added.

“My experience is that the insurance industry is a great place to work but we do still see examples of bad behaviour and that’s why we think this pan-industry initiative is so important,” said Tulsi Naidu, CEO, Zurich UK. “We believe the Inclusive Behaviours Pledge will send a clear signal that the leadership of our industry is committed to working together to drive out inappropriate or discriminatory behaviour. We want our current and future employees to be confident in the insurance industry as a sector that is inclusive and welcoming to all.”

Bertrand Poupart-Lafarge, interim CEO AXA UK & Ireland and executive sponsor for diversity & inclusion, said: “At AXA UK we are committed to achieving truly inclusive behaviour to make our business as diverse as the customers we serve. I am delighted to sign this pledge reinforcing our stance that all our employees are treated with respect, courtesy and dignity, embracing and valuing all our differences.”

Richard Pryce, CEO, QBE European Operations, commented: “I’m delighted to sign this CEO Pledge and add QBE European Operations to the list of insurance companies standing up for inclusive behaviours and encouraging appropriate conduct in the workplace. I pledge to lead an organisation that has a workplace culture where the unique ideas, capabilities, and experiences all our people bring to the office are valued and respected.”

The pledge contains a series of CEO-level commitments, with an obligation for them to have clear policies and procedures in place for reporting any inappropriate or discriminatory behaviour in the workplace. It commits CEOs to taking action within their own organisations if their employees are not treated with dignity at work, with serious repercussions for the perpetrators of any behaviour which falls short of the desired behaviours.

A dedicated website, inclusiveinsurancepledge.co.uk, has also been launched, where organisations can read about the pledge and sign up online. The website provides signatories with an “Inclusive Behaviours” toolkit, designed to help firms embed and enforce the pledge across their organisations.

The founding signatories of the Inclusive Behaviours Pledge are:

Association of British Insurers (ABI), AEGIS, AIG, AON, Arch, ARIS, Asta, Aviva, AXA, AXIS, Beazley, British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA), Brit, Chaucer, CNA Hardy, Covea, Direct Line Group, Gallagher, General & Medical, Genesis Insurance Brokers Ltd., Guy Carpenter, Hiscox, James Hampden International Insurance Brokers, London & International Insurance Brokers’ Association (LIIBA), Lloyd’s, Lloyd’s Market Association (LMA), Lockton International, Lonmar, Manchester Underwriting Management, Markel, Marsh, Miles Smith, New Dawn Risk Group Ltd., Newline, NDI Insurance & Reinsurance Brokers Ltd., Oxford Insurance Brokers, QBE, Reason Global, Renaissance Re, RSA, Shepherd Compello, SSL Insurance Brokers, Swiss Re, THB Group Ltd, Travelers, Trireme Insurance Group, Wesleyan, Willis Towers Watson, XL Catlin and Zurich Insurance.

Related:

4th Dive-In Diversity & Inclusion Festival to Be Held Sept. 25-27 in 50-Plus Cities

Topics Trends Agencies Excess Surplus Lloyd's AXA XL