Inclusion, diversity and belonging

We promote an inclusive culture at Royal London and have a range of inclusion networks for our colleagues to get involved with.

Our culture

We’re welcoming, friendly, flexible and make sure you always feel included. Royal London is a place where everyone wants to be.

We have a unique culture across Royal London which is underpinned by our Spirit of Royal London values – we are empowered, we are trustworthy, we achieve and we collaborate. These values help us all work together to deliver the best outcomes to our customers and are integral to continuing to make Royal London a great place to work for our colleagues.

We believe the launch of our refreshed and emboldened diversity and inclusion strategy over the last twelve months, along with driving forward our three-year positive action plan has resulted in a genuinely enhanced culture of inclusion across Royal London. We are proud to be driving forward our commitments made under the HMT Women in Finance Charter and the Race at Work Charter. We are also proud to be a Disability Confident Employer.

Wellbeing

It is vital that we support the mental health and wellbeing of our colleagues. By doing so, colleagues are better able to deliver high quality outcomes for our customers. Together, as part of our Spirit of Royal London, we can create an environment in which people across the business feel able to discuss their mental health, to seek assistance and to receive the support they need. To achieve this we provide a wide range of practical support alongside awareness and cultural approaches covering physical, financial and mental wellbeing. We also have a programme of trained Mental Health First Aiders covering our organisation across the UK and Ireland.

Colleague representation

All colleagues are supported and represented by the Colleague Representative Forum (CRF) which works to help improve working life at Royal London. The CRF is central to bringing colleague voice to our most senior leaders. There are over 50 trained colleague representatives led by a full-time Principal Officer, supported by two part-time Deputies, with each business area having a Lead Representative to engage with the local business leaders.

Our inclusion networks

We continue to champion an inclusive culture, supporting colleague representation and our inclusion networks - DAWN (Disability AWareness Network), PRIDE, REACH (Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage) and Women's Network - with a programme of activities and events.

REACH (Race, Ethnicity And Cultural Heritage Network)

The REACH Network’s aim is to provide a space for all ethnicities to connect, share experiences and take action to promote race equality and diversity – educating, engaging and empowering. The network showcases the diversity, breadth of skills and knowledge that everyone brings and colleagues are encouraged to participate by promoting awareness and embracing our rich cultural diversity.

DAWN (Disability AWareness Network)

This network aims to raise awareness and combat stigma and stereotypes faced by people with disabilities, both visible and hidden. Their key areas of focus include developing insight and awareness, building confidence and helping foster an inclusive workforce where colleagues feel supported, having access to the right equipment and supporting people to feel able to progress and develop their skills and careers.

PRIDE (our LGBTQ+ Network)

This network is where both LGBTQ+ colleagues and allies alike can come together as a community and where members can feel comfortable sharing their experiences and connect with one another. The network aims to support members so they feel confident in their roles and achieving their personal and career development.

Women’s Network

Our Women's Network is a community that celebrates and supports its members, helps everyone to learn more and inspires all of us to aim higher. Confidence and development are strong themes here and our events focus on three key areas of team working, finance, and wellbeing. There are two sub-groups to the Women’s Network – Women in Technology and our Periods and Menopause Group – focused on actions such as supporting over 20 new Periods and Menopause champions and launching guidance and training for leaders.

HMT Women in Finance Charter

Women have always been prominent at Royal London. In fact, during World War II, our mutual society was remained in business thanks to a diligent and energetic group of young women who filled the gaps left by our men in service. Today, it's more important than ever to champion the work of women at Royal London, at a time when all of society must improve its approach to women in the workplace. With this in mind, we’ve made a commitment to tackling specific challenges surrounding gender equality.

As part of our diversity and inclusion agenda, we’ve signed up to the Women in Finance Charter, a government initiative supporting the progression of women into senior roles in financial services. It’s a promise we’ve made to Women in Finance, our people, and those who are considering joining us in future.

By signing up to the charter, we have:

  • Set ourselves a target of increasing our female senior management population from 33% in 2016 to 42% by the end of 2025
  • Publish annual reports that outline the progress we’re making towards meeting this target. See the reports here.

Gender pay gap

We’re determined to reduce our gender pay gaps. We know it won’t happen overnight, but we're working diligently to make changes that have a lasting impact on the business. Our Gender Pay Gap report shows the gaps across our business, outlines why we have these gaps and sets out what we are doing to address them. By understanding the gaps, we can better focus our attention on the initiatives that will make a real difference. 

Read the reports here.