Promoting an inclusive culture
“If we are to make the world more resilient, we need everybody to be able to bring their true selves to work and to be fully engaged. I am an ally to our LGBTI+ community and am committed to ensuring that they do not feel marginalised or under-represented alongside all other communities at Swiss Re.”
Christian Mumenthaler,
Group CEO
We know that our employees’ lives and experiences are unique and we believe in championing that uniqueness. Uniqueness in leadership, in thought, in fact in every way we work together and live our values. A key aspect of our People Strategy is to prevent stereotyping of individuals based on any dimension of diversity. The philosophy of managing and attracting diverse talent is fully embedded in our development offering for new and existing managers.
Swiss Re is committed to providing an equal and safe work environment for LGBTI+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex) employees, and our global “Together with Pride” employee network is a signatory to the United Nation’s Free & Equal Standards of Conduct to tackle discrimination against LGBTI+ people. The network has opened new local chapters in Germany, Brazil, Canada, India, Mexico and Slovakia, and now comprises over 1 000 allies and LGBTI+ employees. The Switzerland chapter had an official opening event with a keynote speech from the Group CEO in June, followed by the Swiss Re Next building lighting up in rainbow colours to honour Pride Month.
During Pride Month in June 2018, we lit up our Swiss Re Next headquarters in rainbow colours for one week, manifesting our support for the LGBTI+ community.
The network hosted a global event about being transgender in the insurance industry to acknowledge National Coming Out Day in October. Working together with HR and our leaders, the terms “gender identity” and “gender expression” were added to the equal treatment section of our Code of Conduct in 2018. A gender-neutral language policy was also introduced and made available to all staff.