Aegon signs Race at Work Charter

The Government initiative is designed to improve outcomes for Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) employees in the UK and to drive more employers to make equality in the workplace the responsibility of all leaders and managers and take action that tackles barriers to recruitment and supports career progression.

The Charter sets out five calls to action for businesses:

1. Appoint an Executive Sponsor for race
2. Capture ethnicity data and publicise progress
3. Commit at board level to zero tolerance of harassment and bullying
4. Make clear that supporting equality in the workplace is the responsibility of all leaders and managers
5. Take action that supports ethnic minority career progression

Aegon launched a Race and Cultural Diversity community in September to focus on providing education and training to drive inclusive behaviours and support creation of a fully inclusive working environment across the organisation, with a focus on race and cultural diversity.

Last week, Shawbrook Bank announced that it had signed the Charter.

Mike Holliday-Williams, CEO at Aegon, commented: “It’s important for us as a business to make this public pledge to improve outcomes of our colleagues from ethnic minorities in the workplace by addressing existing barriers to recruitment and career progression.

“A diverse workforce is central to our ambition to help people in the UK achieve a lifetime of financial security. Without diversity of culture, race, thought and experience among our employees, we will struggle to meet the needs of a diverse UK population that we serve.

“The charter gives us the framework to measure race and cultural diversity across the business to ensure that we deliver on our promise to create a fully inclusive working environment where everyone can be fully themselves and thrive.

“We hope this initiative also helps us to attract Black, Asian and minority ethnic talent into our industry and continues to deliver the message to everyone at Aegon, that our diversity is our strength and it’s okay to be your true self at work every day.”