Unum is committed to being an inclusive and diverse employer.
We strive to employ people who reflect the communities and customers we serve, and aim to create an inclusive culture where everyone can reach their full potential. Whatever your race, ethnicity, belief, generation, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, disability or experience, you’ll appreciate the opportunities we give you to work in an inclusive atmosphere.
We welcome the ideas and unique contributions of every team member, and value the diversity of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences that make us a stronger company.
We celebrate the diversity of thought, viewpoints and ideas that help us overcome challenges and embrace new possibilities.
Embracing diversity:
- Allows us to better understand the needs of our customers
- Brings out the best in our people
- Helps us be more competitive
- Attracts top talent - bringing energy and creativity
- Appeals to customers who demand diversity in the businesses they partner
Women in Finance Charter
We are proud to be one of the first firms to sign the Women in Finance Charter. To meet the requirements of the Charter we have:
- Set the goal that, by 2021, at least 35% of Unum’s Executive Committee will be female
- Linked the pay of our CEO and HR Director to diversity targets, and made our CEO our accountable executive for the UK Women in Finance Charter
- Launched a Women in Leadership programme to develop our high-potential female leaders
When we signed up to the Women in Finance Charter in 2017, we had 20% female representation at our Executive Committee. As of 23rd September 2019, women continue to represent 20% of our Executive Team, almost 37% of our senior management team and 33% at Board level.
While we recognise we still have further work to do, we do believe we are on track to meet our Charter target by our deadline.
This year, in line with our border Inclusion and Diversity goals and commitment to Gender Equality throughout the organisation, we have also set ourselves an increased target of having at least 40% female representation across our broader senior leadership team (the top 7% of our organisation).
As at 23rd September 2019, we currently have 60 employees at this level, 22 of which are female (36.67%).
We remain committed to building and developing our own internal and external talent. This is evidenced by the two women on our Executive Team, who have progressed up through the company to executive roles as a result of our focus on accelerating and promoting female talent.
We are continuing to invest in developing the capabilities of our internal talent at all levels of our organisation, educating our employees on this important topic, and strengthening our external networking and outreach for future roles that arise.
For more information, please contact Susan Sanderson, Senior CSR and Inclusion & Diversity Manager.
Business in the Community Race at Work Charter
The Race at Work Charter helps business improve their racial equality in the workplace. We are pleased to announce we are a signatory, and have committed to five key principles including appointing an executive sponsor for race. For more information visit https://www.bitc.org.uk/race/
Working Families
We are proud to be an Employer member of Working Families, the UK’s work-life balance charity. They help working parents and carers - and their employers - find a better balance between responsibilities at home and in the workplace.
Stonewall Diversity Champion
We are also proud to be a Stonewall Diversity Champion, showcasing our commitment to creating an inclusive workplace for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) employees. Unum aims to be in the top 100 companies listed in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index – a benchmark that assesses progress on LGBT equality – within five years.
Disability Confident Leader
We are a recognised Disability Confident Leader. We provide disabled people with the opportunity to fulfil their potential, realise their ambitions, and make the most of their talents. As part of this commitment, we are members of the Business Disability Forum. Through this, we aspire to help positively change and influence attitudes, behaviours and cultures - both within Unum and beyond.
Employee Resource Groups
Our employees lead five networks to promote inclusion and diversity within the company. Together, these networks play a crucial role in helping us create a culture where everyone is included and can bring their full selves to work each day.
The Ability Employee Resource Group is dedicated to leveraging the diverse skills and abilities of employees with both visible and hidden physical and mental health challenges.
The Gender Equality Employee Resource Group embeds a culture that aims to provide consistent opportunities for all, appreciating individual skillsets, career ambitions and personal circumstances.
The LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group supports an inclusive environment, free of conscious or unconscious bias, and discrimination against people based on their gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation.
The Race & Ethnicity Employee Resource Group helps us to engage a more diverse range of talent, and educates on embracing inclusion to support a more multicultural and ethnically-diverse workforce.
The Veterans Employee Resource Group is dedicated to ensuring that Unum is a veteran-friendly employer. We support initiatives for the recruitment, development and retention of veteran talent across the organisation.
Armed Forces Covenant
In September 2019, we signed the Armed Forces Covenant - a promise by the nation ensuring that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly. Through the work of our Veterans Employee Resource Group, we are committed to being an armed forces-friendly organisation and will ensure that those who served in the armed forces, whether regular or reserve, will face no disadvantage in the workplace.
More about how Unum supports inclusion and diversity
We are proud of the work we do to promote inclusion and diversity inside Unum and the communities we live and work in. To read more, please see our recent corporate social responsibility report.
