Creating a diverse and inclusive workforce
How we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce
We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce, as we know that by creating a space where everyone is supported to do their best work, we unlock their full potential and deliver the best results for our customers and stakeholders.
We do this through key initiatives, aligned to our five pillars, and by ensuring accountability through publishing data on our progress.
Workforce statistics
| Jan 2019 | Jan 2020 | Jan 2021 | Jan 2022 | Jan 2023 | Jan 2024 | Jan 2025 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of females employed | 44% | 42% | 43% | 40% | 45.4% | 46% | 46.7% |
| Percentage of managers that are female | 40% | 42% | 40% | 41% | 41.1% | 42.2% | 42.9% |
| Percentage of UK Executive Team that is female | 23% | 21% | 14% | 15.4% | 30.8% | 40% | 37.5% |
| Percentage of BAME employees (self-declared) | 5.2% | 5.7% | 6.2% | 7% | 9.2% | 9% | 10.6% |
| Percentage of employees with disability | 8% | 5.8% | 5.2%* | 6.1% | 7.6% | 8% | 8.3% |
| Percentage of employees who are LGBT (self-declared) | 1.7% | 1.9% | 2.1% | 3% | 4.2% | 4% | 4.8% |
*Difference from prior year is due to new set of questions and some employees have not yet updated their declaration.
Diversity scope of reporting: UK payroll headcount includes permanent and fixed term contractors. Excludes non-executive directors, temps and agency, Female managers: Grades 4-9
Data source: HR data system. Apart from gender data, all information is based on employees completing self-declaration. As a result not all this information is 100% representative.
Five ways we’re creating a diverse and inclusive workforce
Our commitment to a diverse and inclusive working environment for all our employees is supported by five pillars. These span across the employee life-cycle, from attracting diverse candidates, to removing barriers to progression for employees and creating an inclusive progressive culture.
1. Attraction and selection
- All vacancies available as part-time or job shares
- Our FlexWork programme empowers employees to work where, when and how they choose, as long as they are able to fulfil business and customer commitments
- We focus on attracting diverse applicants through partnerships with Bright Network
- Diverse hiring panels
- Youth First outreach programme to schools in disadvantaged areas near our offices in partnership with Teach First. Through the Kick Start Mentors UK programme, we are offering mentoring to 75 pupils
- Work experience, apprenticeships, paid internships and graduate positions offered every year
- We’ve reviewed and revised the language we use in job adverts to emphasise our commitment to diversity and ensure roles are attractive to all
- Fair recruitment training for all hiring managers
- Fair recruitment policy to be signed by all hiring managers
2. Development and career progression
- Mentoring and sponsorship of diverse talent
- Buddy scheme for employees going on/returning from parental leave
- We ensure a focus on diversity in our succession planning and activity
- Diverse cohorts on development programmes
- Development programmes focused on diverse talent
- Partnering groups of new starters without previous professional experience with senior managers, who can help provide advice on navigating Zurich
3. Measurement and reporting
- Zurich has signed up to the Race at Work Charter, Women in Finance, Stonewall Workplace Equality Index, Age-friendly Employer Pledge, Fertility Workplace Pledge and has achieved Disability Confident Leader status
- We report on our pay gaps for ethnicity, disability, LGBTQ+, and gender
- We carry out annual equal pay for equivalent work analysis to ensure gender is not a factor in remuneration
4. Inclusive culture
- 16 weeks’ paid parental leave for any employee with a new child
- FlexWork available to all employees
- Compulsory code of conduct training for all employees
- Over a quarter of Zurich UK employees are members of one of our four employee networks, all of which are sponsored by at least one executive
- 25 employees trained as inclusion allies to support colleagues who are facing inclusion-related issues
- Employees can request to swap UK bank holidays for days off that have cultural or religious significance to them
5. Leadership
- We have a diversity council chaired by our UK CEO, Drazen Jaksic, with representatives from all business areas
- Goals of 40% females in senior management and 10% ethnic minority representation across company. All executive members have a D&I-related objective