Why DUAL takes Pride in being a People First business

June is Pride Month, celebrating the progress made in LGBTQ+ rights. For us at DUAL this is an opportunity to demonstrate our genuine commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion beyond ‘rainbow washing’, and to celebrate our diverse and vibrant teams. As a business, it’s an opportunity for us to lead the insurance industry from the front, showing our continued commitment to diversity and inclusion beyond the month of June.

As a People First business, we want to attract the very best talent to help deliver our diverse and specialist solutions, and ultimately, support our clients to thrive in a changing world.

We know that celebrating the diversity of our teams is a key part in fostering greater employee engagement and retention because employees feel supported and respected. Employees who are happy at work and feel safe to be themselves, are more likely to be creative, productive and innovative.

Inclusive environments can also positively impact recruitment. Research from Deloitte found that 80% of job seekers want to work for inclusive companies and it is critical to our success that we attract the very best talent from all backgrounds, as well as simply being the right thing to do.

As both the co-chair of our Employee Resource Group and Chief Financial Officer, I’m in the privileged position of having a platform to champion rights around both sexual orientation and gender across the business. This is very important to me because to provide meaningful outcomes and push inclusivity and acceptance beyond words, businesses need leaders who are committed to these values. However, I also believe everyone has a role to play in living this culture.

From an organisational standpoint, key to sustaining this culture and ensuring employees are able to embrace their true identities all year round is turning Pride messages into actionable and meaningful outcomes.

At DUAL we conduct regular People Surveys to build on our great culture and be an employer of choice. We were delighted that 87% of our employees responded to our last survey in 2024, with ‘people from all backgrounds are treated fairly’ being one of our top scoring questions (8.7).

At DUAL, we not only have clear anti-discrimination policies, but also positively advocate to support our LGBTQ+ community. We have a dedicated employee resource group (RESPECT) and hold regular events to build, support and strengthen our network. We also invite allies to join us in order to break down barriers and – frankly – because our LGBTQ+ network has a lot of fun! Our flagship Pride event this year sees the return of our annual Drag Bingo fundraiser for the Terrence Higgins Trust, the UK's leading HIV and sexual health charity.

While Pride month is a great opportunity to support and celebrate our LGBTQ+ community at DUAL, it is also a timely reminder that, while businesses have begun to recognise the value of celebrating diversity, inclusion and allyship, challenges still remain on how best to provide continuous support to employees. As co-chair of DUAL’s LGBTQ+ Respect network, I am committed to doing this every day of the year.