The latest findings show that 66% of insurance firms now offer surrogacy support and 69% offer IVF support - showing increases of 13% and 19% respectively since 2022 - and that 46% of firms offer returnship programmes for those coming back after parental or extended leave, up 13% from 2022. Every ABI member continues to offer formal flexible working options, helping employees balance work with family and caring responsibilities.
This progress aligns with the Blueprint’s wider focus on supporting colleagues through events such as miscarriage and caring responsibilities, recognising how these experiences affect people working across the insurance industry.
The update also reveals other areas of momentum. More firms are collecting data to better understand representation, with 59% gathering socio economic background information and 61% capturing neurodiversity data. The Blueprint shows that 89% of ABI members have a speak up policy to encourage staff to report harassment or discrimination, and 76% have a formal zero tolerance policy.
Representation at director level has also improved, with women increasing from 31% to 36% and people from ethnic minority backgrounds rising from 7% to 9% compared with 2023. However, ethnic minority representation at board level has fallen from 11% in 2023 to 8% in 2024, signalling an area where further action is needed. Engagement with future talent continues to grow, with firms offering structured work experience to 2,622 young people in 2024, up from 288 in 2022.
Liisa Antola, manager of DEI and customer outcomes at the ABI, said: "The insurance and long-term savings industry touches millions of lives across the UK, making it vital that our workforce reflects the diverse communities we serve. From better support for working parents to stronger engagement with the incoming workforce, this report shows encouraging progress, and we look forward to building on this further."
"We are already working closely with members and stakeholders to build on the foundations of our DEI Blueprint and drive lasting change across the industry in 2026 and beyond. Our aim may be bold, but it still stands; we remain committed to becoming the most diverse, equitable and inclusive sector of the UK economy."
