At Canada Life International there is a strong sense of inclusivity and a passion to make all colleagues feel they are part of a team. Managing Director Sean Christian explained: 'At Canada Life, we are transparent about our commitment to bring diversity, equity and inclusion into our workplace and across everything we do. Not only do we see that treating everyone fairly and with respect is the right thing to do, we also recognise the commercial advantages of doing so.'

We met with Sean and colleague Vicki Hotchkiss (Head of Talent and Organisation Development) at their modern, purpose-built office in the Isle of Man Business Park.

'We have around 220 team members based in the Isle of Man', says Vicki, who’s role also covers their other locations across the UK.

'But you’ll see the office doesn’t feel crowded. One of the advancements we are most proud of over the last two to three years is our flexible working philosophy. We offer all our teams the choice of dividing their week between home and the office in a way that works best for them and the service we provide.'

Importance of Work Life Balance

'The days of individuals needing to be present in the office 9 – 5, Monday to Friday have gone' adds Sean.

'Flexible working is here to stay. We have evidence that this is one of the reasons we are attracting a diverse range of top talent from across the island.'

Retaining that top talent is much more than just offering a competitive salary. Both Sean and Vicki mention frequently the importance of family.

'We are continually working to ensure our people policies are progressive and reflective of the diverse workforce we are building' says Sean. 'Our family policies include enhanced maternity pay for example and allow for discretion on special leave based on individual family constructs.'

They talk of promoting an optimum balance between work and family life.

'My children are 7 and 4' says Vicki, 'so I balance my day in a way that allows me to do the school run. Next week I will be at the Nativity play.'

Learning and Development

Learning and development opportunities are available in abundance. 'For sure, we provide all the expected training required for a regulated business' says Sean, 'but our offering is so much more than that'.

They speak of the 'D, E & I lens' being brought across all their learning channels, not just in terms of what learning looks like, but also how it is created taking in the differences in how people read, think and learn.

'Learning at Work Week' is an annual event which this year included sessions on British Sign Language and a presentation called ‘Finding Zandar’ delivered by a colleague who came out as a transgender man.

Training around Vulnerable Customers and Bias Awareness sessions are also a core part of the programme.

Raising Awareness

'One of the ways we are working to build a more diverse and inclusive organisation is through our Employee Networks' explains Vicki.

'The Ethnicity Network ‘T.E.N’ celebrates cultural differences focusing on race and ethnicity. It champions initiatives and provides education on a variety of cultural celebrations throughout the year, ensuring all our people have the opportunity to celebrate what is meaningful to them.'

Sean adds '5 years ago recognition of Diwali or Hanukka for example may not have made it onto the calendar. Now it is a standard part of our annual celebrations.'

Sean is Executive Sponsor of the PROUD network across all parts of Canada Life UK, 'it is being established to promote inclusivity of our LGBTQ+ colleagues'; and Vicki is leading the refresh of the ‘Gender Balance’ network, moving it forward from the focus on women in leadership and towards advocating the value of an overall gender balanced workforce.

Creating positive impact in the community

Vicki and Sean both speak proudly of the partnership with the Isle of Man Football Association.

Vicki explains : 'We have a longstanding relationship with the FA, sponsoring the men’s and women’s Premier League, the women’s FA Cup and the women’s Floodlit cup as well as being the principal sponsor the women’s national team.'

'We want our relationship to be more than just a cheque,' Sean continues.

'We directly support the IOM FA with delivery of its own D, E & I agenda. During Black History Month we partnered with charity Show Racism the Red Card, to bring Shaka Hislop (former premier league footballer) to Canada Life and were delighted to bring board members of the FA into the conversation.'

Physical and Mental Health

In addition to their external sponsorships, the Canada Life community programme sponsors colleagues to participate in various events across the island.

'We understand that people are different and therefore we want to provide a choice around what they participate in' says Vicki.

'There is always a Canada Life team in the Parish Walk and we are regulars in many other events from Race the Sun to Le Dans.'

Their commitment to supporting colleagues is clear. The names and photographs of their in-house team of mental health first-aiders are posted at various points around the office.

'We have a leading Wellbeing programme with many services available through an app, meaning colleagues can access them confidentially whenever and wherever they like', explains Vicki.

Women’s Health

Inclusion for Sean and Vicki is a broad topic.

They talk of how conversations around women’s health, be it fertility or menopause have historically been shied away from in the workplace.

This may lead to women feeling isolated or concluding they have no choice but to leave their employer. They both speak passionately about changing this.

'Our ambitions around a gender balanced workforce includes women of all ages' says Vicki.

Sean shared 'We have done a huge amount to raise awareness around menopause and the impact this can have. I recently participated in menopause awareness training and took the opportunity to join a live panel discussion alongside female colleagues who were at various stages of menopause.

'My participation was to provide a leader’s perspective on how we have adapted our environment and policies to recognise the needs of our female colleagues at this important life stage.'

This has clearly gone a long way in Canada Life to open up the conversation, the transparency bringing greater understanding and appreciation.

They recently partnered with Peppy Health, which is a digital health app that supports menopause and fertility. Sean reflects: 'I am quite proud at how many female colleagues have now spoken openly to me about the menopause. I have a much better understanding as a result

and through the awareness training I believe I am better equipped to provide the necessary support as a leader.'

Moving Forward

'Striving to achieve a diversified workforce takes effort” says Vicki. Canada Life now gender de-code all their job adverts, and work with a range of channels to attract a broad range of applicants such as MyGworks (an LGBTQ+ job board) and Rest Less, which targets the over 50s.

'We have colleagues in their 60’s and 70’s who bring huge value to the products and service we provide.'

Sean speaks of the importance placed on actively monitoring pay and conditions to ensure equity, bringing D,E & I lenses across all of performance measures and pay decisions.

It is clear that diversity to Canada Life is not limited to the traditional discussions around gender.

'Valuing everyone's differences and welcoming people of all backgrounds and experiences creates a thriving work environment,' he concludes, 'We’ve achieved a lot, but we’ve all got so much more to do.'