Financial services organisation Aegon has signed the Race at Work charter, committing to address the issues that employees from ethnic minority groups face in the workplace.
The race charter, created in partnership with the UK government and charity Business in the Community (BITC), has set out to improve the workplace quality for employees from black, Asian and minority (Bame) backgrounds based in the UK.
Aegon, which currently employs over 2,000 staff in the UK, will now commit to tackling racial inequality by supporting the career progression for ethnic minority employees through offering extensive learning and development sessions.
The organisation will regularly publish its ethnicity pay figures and communicate the progress of closing its gap. Aegon has also introduced education and training sessions, to increase awareness around diversity across the organisation and drive inclusive behaviour.
Aegon will additionally commit to a zero-tolerance of Bame harassment and support ethnic minority career progression through training and development initiatives.
Mike Holliday-Williams, chief executive at Aegon, said: “It is important for us as an organisation to make this public pledge to improve outcomes of our employees from ethnic minorities in the workplace by addressing existing barriers to recruitment and career progression.
“A diverse workforce is central 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 organisation 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 Bame ethnic talent into our industry and continues to deliver the message to everyone at Aegon, that our diversity is our strength and it is okay to be your true self at work every day.”