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Focus Area 2

This second Focus Area recognises the important role our people and culture play in attracting and retaining talent over the long term. It also recognises the importance of our people’s technical knowledge, skills and capabilities in supporting our business and customers, and addressing the risks and opportunities that arise across our globally diverse business. The culture and capability of our people are drivers of value for QBE. A sustainable and resilient workforce is underpinned by how we engage and connect our people to our purpose and vision. Investing in our people’s career development, and supporting flexibility and wellbeing, can allow us to continue to attract and retain the best talent.

QBE Insurance Group recognised among top 100 companies globally for gender equality

QBE Insurance Group has been recognised among the top 100 companies globally for gender equality in Equileap’s 2023 Gender Equality Report and Ranking.

This marks the third time QBE has received this honour, reflecting its ongoing commitment to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace. 

Equileap’s comprehensive assessment evaluates companies on 19 criteria, including gender balance across all levels, pay equity, parental leave policies and anti-sexual harassment measures.

QBE’s consistent inclusion in this ranking underscores its dedication to advancing gender equality within the corporate sector.

At QBE, we believe that a thriving workplace is one where employees feel supported, valued, and empowered to prioritise their mental health.

In 2024, QBE was recognised as the first financial institution and insurer to be promoted from a Skilled Workplace to an "Advanced Workplace" by Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Australia. This recognition highlights our focus on embedding Mental Health First Aid into our culture and our dedication to creating a supportive and inclusive work environment.

QBE was acknowledged for our continuous efforts, expanding support networks across various regions in Australia and New Zealand, and elevating the MHFA officer profile during hybrid working.

 

  

QBE North America has been recognised for the ninth consecutive year as a top adoption friendly workplace by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, ranking 46th among the top organisations in 2024 – a significant rise from 83rd in 2023 and leading the insurance sector.

Since 2007, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption has compiled an annual list of the top adoption-friendly workplaces. Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces are determined by an analysis of financial assistance and paid leave for families who adopt, based on surveys completed by employers.

“As an industry leader in providing family-friendly benefits and programs, we’re proud to be named a top Adoption-Friendly Workplace by the Dave Thomas Foundation as it recognizes our support of all paths to parenthood," said Rachel Pollack, Chief People Officer, QBE North America. "Our Adoption Assistance Program underscores our commitment to offering meaningful resources for employees welcoming children into their families through adoption."

At QBE, we support our employees' efforts to grow their families through adoption by offering employees a minimum of 12 weeks paid parental leave through our Balanced Beginnings program, and up to $15,000 financial reimbursement.

In addition to this, QBE provides resources such as guidance on parental leave preparation and return to work processes, back up childcare options, childcare discounts, special needs assistance, highlighting its commitment to supporting diverse paths to parenthood. 

 

 

This accolade reflects QBE’s ongoing commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace culture that values diversity and promotes equity across all levels of the organisation. By implementing comprehensive diversity initiatives and inclusive policies, QBE continues to set a benchmark in the insurance industry, ensuring that all employees feel respected, valued and empowered to contribute authentically. 

Furthermore, QBE was awarded silver in the Diversity and Inclusion Excellence category at the 2024 Insurance Times Awards in the UK. This recognition highlights QBE’s strong commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace culture and driving meaningful change within the insurance industry. By implementing impactful initiatives and championing equitable practices, QBE continues to set a benchmark for diversity and inclusion across the sector. 

QBE has implemented initiatives to support employees experiencing menopause, aiming to foster an inclusive and understanding workplace. In 2022, QBE Europe signed the Workplace Menopause Pledge, committing to recognise menopause as a workplace issue, encourage open and respectful dialogue, and actively support affected employees. This led to the creation of resources such as the Menopause Guide, which provides information on symptoms, workplace impacts and support pathways.  QBE also established a menopause buddy system, pairing employees with trained colleagues for support and updated flexible leave policies to include up to four days of paid leave for life experiences like menopause. In 2024, QBE Australia continues to support employees experiencing menopause through our “M Cafes” initiative offering employee networks and groups that support employees with menopause symptoms, along with other family-related topics. 

We are taking actions and initiative to engage our people on sustainability. We deliver sustainability awareness sessions and provide resources and materials and e-learning modules on foundational sustainability topics. We also connect subject matter experts with various business functions to empower our people to integrate sustainability into their roles.

Our Global Sustainability Network is a key channel to drive employee engagement and awareness of our sustainability strategy.  It is a global platform for our people to share knowledge and to leverage this information to tackle regional challenges. In 2024, the network delivered a series of events highlighting the enterprise focus areas for sustainability and identifying opportunities for our people to embed sustainability into their daily lives.

In 2024 we provided several opportunities for our people to engage with their local communities and sustainability:

  • Our European Sustainability Network partnered with the Spanish Red Cross on a program of work, ‘Moving for Domestic Savings’, promoting environmental protection within the fight against climate change and vulnerability to benefit health and social welfare. 

  • In North America, our New York office collaborated with RETI Centre, donating 8,500 corks collected by our people, which went towards building floating gardens, offering natural habitats to endangered species. 

  • In The Philippines we partnered with Save The Children to pack kits containing emergency supplies to be deployed to people in need after natural disasters.

  • In Australia Pacific, the Sustainability Network and the Technology Services team teamed up to support the drive to donate old personal mobile phones to DV Safe Phones. The charity collects and repairs mobile phones which it provides front line agencies and services who distribute the free phones to victims of domestic violence.

2024 marked the second year of QBE Europe’s partnership with neurodiversity champions GAIN (Group for Autism, Investment, Insurance & Neurodiversity), who specialises in raising awareness and attracting and retaining neurodiverse talent within the insurance industry. As part of this partnership, we have conducted an annual benchmark to compare our progress towards accessible working environments with other organisations across the industry. We are pleased to be the first partner of GAIN who has achieved a Level 2 score across any of the metrics that the benchmark analyses against, notably for our internal culture and driving awareness for neurodiversity across the industry. 

 

This progress has been due to several factors, including but not limited to: 

 

  • Supporting and solidifying our accessibility network in Europe, QBE Workability, as well as establishing additional branches of this network in our North America and Asia locations.  
  • Delivering a Global Neurodiversity Toolkit, a Disability People Leader Toolkit and an external podcast focusing on exploring the intersection between being LGBTIQ+ and neurodivergent. 
  • Prioritising accessibility within our relocated Leeds office, to offer a case study to future offices and other organisations on what a modern working environment can look like. 
  • Delivering and embedding our Global Inclusive Hiring Principles to put a focus on creating an accessible and inclusive recruitment process for all candidates, regardless of disability or identity. 

Our focus on building representation and fostering a sense of belonging for ethnically diverse talent within the insurance industry remains a key priority in our inclusion strategy. We recognise that this effort must begin at an early stage by supporting aspiring students and young professionals in overcoming barriers to entering the market, often faced due to their ethnicity. QBE Europe continues to direct our actions towards partnering with numerous organisations, including iCAN, Bridging the Gap, and BRIGHT Network.

These collaborations allow us to drive tangible action towards promoting insurance as an aspirational career path.  We recently partnered with iCAN to deliver a Coffee with our International Chief Executive Officer and a Speed Mentoring event hosted by our Managing Director for Global Reinsurance.

QBE Europe’s Schools Partnership Programme has now entered its fourth year, in partnership with Bridging the Gap, where we continue to provide invaluable work experience to colleagues from ethnically diverse backgrounds, to highlight the career opportunities available within QBE and the wider insurance industry. QBE AUSPAC continues to partner with Reconciliation Australia to support our Reconciliation Action Plan, recognising the progress we have achieved including our partnership with Stars Foundation, offering local grants through QBE Foundation, and supporting First Nation interns. Internally we continue to deliver our series of ‘Know the Line’ sessions for new starters and graduates, aimed at building a safe and respectful workplace for all.

QBE North America continues to put focus on promoting cultural awareness in partnership with our Mix network, recognising important annual observances including but not limited to Native American Heritage Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, and Juneteenth.