Insurance Times Awards 2022: Allianz Holdings wants its trans employees to feel ’validated’

Why did you want to enter the Insurer Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Award category?

Half of trans people have hidden or disguised their identity at work for fear of discrimination and the decision for someone to ‘come out’ or disclose their trans identity can often be an extremely difficult step to make.

As an employer, we want to make this process as smooth as possible and ensure that our trans colleagues are able to enjoy an employee experience where they feel validated, accepted, respected and supported.

We designed a ‘transitioning at work’ policy to provide clarity on practical HR matters, key considerations and responsibilities we all have to create a safe and inclusive environment.

What do you think makes your entry stand out or different from your competition?

We believe we’re the first major insurer to launch a transitioning at work policy in the UK that goes beyond outlining the legal protections and internal processes available to employees.

It was created with expert input from our HR teams, our Pride employee network and colleagues who have transitioned.

In the 2022 Stonewall Equality Index, we received a silver award in recognition of our efforts to provide a trans-inclusive work environment.

What would winning this award mean to you and your firm?

Grassroot initiatives are invaluable and winning this award would recognise that our approach of collaborating with our people to help design the policy was the right one.

It would also send a powerful message of acceptance across the industry.