IAG New Zealand is the first general insurer in Aotearoa to be certified with the Rainbow Tick.
The accreditation indicates the organisation understands, values and welcomes sexual and gender diversity.
The certification was presented to IAG by Rainbow Tick programme director, Michael Stevens who said, IAG has shown, “genuine goodwill and a desire to be welcoming.”
As part of IAG’s family of brands in New Zealand, NZI is proud to be supporting diversity in the workplace.
Garry Taylor, NZI’s Executive General Manager, says it’s important that everyone feels they can be authentic and know they will be supported and respected when they come to work each day.
“The Rainbow Tick is a fantastic endorsement of our work in support of diversity, inclusion and belonging, and that work will continue in the wake of this certification.”
Rainbow Tick is a programme which evaluates a company’s LGBT inclusion in five core areas and provides evidence-based recommendations for change, along with resources and support for implementation.
According to Rainbow Tick, diversity and inclusion training is not about political correctness – it’s about allowing employees to bring the whole of themselves to work, an approach which has been proven to increase productivity, talent retention and loyalty, and is directly linked to enhanced performance and strengthened brand reputation.
It’s a value that resonates with Taylor.
“Our company first and foremost puts its people first, which is why it’s important we have a culture that respects difference.”
He says NZI and the wider IAG NZ business has learnt a lot from the partnership.
“We see our certification as the start of a journey to develop our strengths in this space even further, and to ensure that there is no part of our business that could create exclusion. There is a lot of evidence about the business consequences of not being an inclusive employer, but more than that, there’s a moral responsibility in 2018 to do the right thing.”
“We’re working in our offices and stores across New Zealand to ensure everyone at IAG understands what we are working to achieve in this area.”
The Rainbow Tick follow’s IAG’s first entry in Auckland’s Pride Parade earlier this year under the banner, Together We’re Safer.
