Zurich has made a pair of announcements – one impacting its UK business, and the other the wider group.
On UK turf, the company has committed to paying a real Living Wage to employees and on-site third-party contractors. The idea behind the movement is to ensure that a hard day’s work equates to a fair day’s pay. The Living Wage is currently set at £9.30 in the UK, with the higher rate of £10.75 in London. Now Zurich UK will ensure its employees meet this marker.
“I’m very happy to achieve this accreditation for our people and the workforce employed by our suppliers,” said head of UK people team Steve Collinson. “It’s simply the right thing to do and another proof point of our commitment to employees – actions do indeed speak louder than words.”
Meanwhile, the group business is accelerating its focus on health and wellbeing with a WellCare business. Its aim is to provide retail, SME and commercial insurance customers with health and wellness solutions and will be headed up by Helene Westerlind.
“The WellCare business is a perfect example of how Zurich is bringing to life its customer-focused strategy, shifting toward prevention and providing innovative services beyond traditional insurance protection,” Westerlind said. “Our goal is to empower customers to improve their health and wellbeing, using technology and data in a responsible manner.”
Westerlind has been with the firm since 2003 and was most recently its global head of international programs.
