"Our desire is for neurodiverse workplaces to become the norm; where every employee can thrive and feel empowered to bring their unique skills and abilities for the mutual benefit of all."
- Laurie Edmans CBE, co-chair of GAIN
According to GAIN: Group for Autism, Insurance, Investment & Neurodiversity, almost 15% of the UK’s population identify as neurodivergent (either diagnosed or undiagnosed) but there is a distinct lack of awareness, opportunity, and access for these individuals within the financial industry. This has meant many neurodivergent individuals have been unable to find long-term meaningful work or realise their full potential in the financial services industry.
Following some initial conversations with several dyslexic employees, Guardian has announced its GAIN corporate membership in hopes of improving its understanding of neurodivergent thinking and addressing any limitations in the workplace. The insurer hopes to “create a safe place where our colleagues feel they can come to work as they are, and where they can thrive and develop.”
Discussing long-term support, Duncan Mosely, chief operating officer at Guardian, explained that the insurer hopes the partnership will “help to inform our approach to addressing neurodiversity in product design and customer experience, to better meet the needs of the diverse population we serve.”
As part of Guardian’s membership, GAIN will support the insurer in a benchmarking exercise to provide recommendations across its facilities, policies, and processes to create a more inclusive workplace for neurodivergent employees.
Although the insurer has membership, individual employees are also encouraged to sign-up for GAIN membership if they’d like to, which will give them access to a broader neurodiverse community and support. This might include support for situations such as interviews, the onboarding process, and performance reviews.
Guardian’s GAIN membership primarily supports its disability and neurodivergent employee group but has the potential to support its sister groups designed to advance diversity and inclusion of LGBTQ+ colleagues and those experiencing Menopause.
Commenting on its latest membership, Laurie Edmans CBE, co-chair of GAIN, has said:
“We’re delighted to welcome Guardian to our growing membership base of forward-thinking companies seeking to improve the employment prospects of neurodivergent people in insurance, investment, and related areas of financial services.”
