Insurance leaders have come out in support of diversity in the wake of Cigna and
Southern Cross being awarded Rainbow Tick accreditations and ahead of Auckland’s Pride Parade.
The Rainbow Tick programme includes an annual audit to evaluate the business’s level of LGBTTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, takatāpui and intersex) inclusion in; internal policies, staff training, engagement and organisational support, external engagement and monitoring. Southern Cross was awarded the Rainbow Tick in mid-January, and Cigna received its accreditation last Thursday.
IAG New Zealand chief executive Craig Olsen said the insurer was committed to providing a fully inclusive and supportive environment where everyone is able to be true to themselves and know that they belong.
“We are taking part in the Rainbow Tick, which supports our organisation to be a great and inclusive place for our people to work. We’ll also be in this year’s Auckland Pride Parade (February 17) for the first time, showing our strong support and commitment to our Rainbow community,” Olsen added.
Ando Insurance chief executive
John Lyon said a lot of businesses were talking about diversity and inclusion and “genuinely trying to do things differently.”
“My experience is that diversity is really hard to get right - it’s not about ticking the box and having a quota of different profiles on the team,” he said. “It’s really about the culture of being genuinely open to hearing different perspectives and being challenged.
“That requires a big mind-shift for a lot of leaders and senior teams, but the rewards will be there for those who do get it right.”
Rothbury Insurance Brokers said it strongly supports diversity in the workplace, and that it recruits with this in mind.
Rothbury HR general manager Christine Barkley told
Insurance Business: “We are fortunate to have a diverse team of people and we really value the richness and wisdom that gender and ethnic equality brings to our business.”
The Auckland Pride Festival runs from February 02-18.
Related stories:
Another insurance gets diversity tick
Insurer gets Rainbow Tick
