Published 05-20-22
Submitted by Aflac Incorporated
Learn more about Aflac's commitment to sustainability
Our Workforce Diversity
In 2001, Aflac Chairman and CEO, Dan Amos, led the cause to create the first Diversity Council at Aflac. Though time has passed, our commitment to diversity continues to this day with over nine employee-led councils globally.
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has continued to be a key theme in the Aflac culture and is critical to our human capital strategy. In the aftermath of 2020, we encountered various societal challenges and to help us navigate those challenges, we developed a social justice committee aimed at supporting various social causes through corporate donations, representation in governmental affairs, and employee action in our communities. However, 2021 continued to be an area challenged in the social and political arena. It is during times like this that we lean on each other and recognize that we are stronger together. So in 2021, we expanded our DEI strategy and launched a global investments strategy that supports minority partners and identifies investments that drive DEI and support social justice, with 74% of our donations impacting underserved populations to include communities of color.
Our employees are the bedrock of our company and we greatly benefit from their diverse backgrounds, experiences and ideas. Ongoing efforts to advance fair representation in the workplace continued to drive positive change as we implemented mechanisms to better measure the representation of women and people of color in leadership at all levels. Recognizing that diversity and inclusion is a business imperative. In 2021, Aflac committed to employee (leadership) diversity goals with accountability.
At the highest levels of Aflac’s leadership and throughout our organization, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce, just as we have for decades. Fostering diversity isn’t only the right approach to take; it also makes good business sense. In order to accomplish our goals and serve the communities where we have a presence, we must surround ourselves with people who bring different perspectives to the table.
Our workforce represents the communities we serve
Aflac is also mindful of the communities in which we operate, striving to be reflective of their diversity and actively working to mirror it. We recognize that our success is often defined by what we do each and every day when others aren’t looking. It’s how we treat all people. It’s the opportunity we give to all people. It’s about how we embrace diversity and encourage dialogue and inclusiveness. We are committed to doing even better and to continuing to make a difference.
Over the years, we have brought this same inclusive spirit to Japan where we have boosted our diversity promotion efforts by increasing the number of women in leadership positions.
At Aflac, our commitment goes beyond talking about diversity to actions that foster equity and inclusion. It is reflected in the makeup of our workforce, the equity of our pay policies and the initiatives we continually undertake to make every person feel welcomed and valued. There is no doubt that we are building a stronger company, but we recognize there is more that we can do. Still, we believe we are on the right path.
The company’s corporate culture reflects its commitment to diversity and inclusion at all levels of the company. For example, at the end of 2021:
Aflac Heartful Services Co., Ltd.
Diversity Council
U.S. Employee Demographics
NEW HIRES
At Aflac, we know that DEI goes beyond EEO-1, which is a U.S. requirement. Nonetheless, we know that many investors want to see this data. In the spirit of the transparency, we at Aflac Incorporated are making the most recent report available. We expect to continue posting future reports in the same way after filing with U.S. Department of Labor.
To learn more about the EEO-1 Report for Aflac U.S., click here.
Aflac Japan Pay Equity
Aflac Japan reformed its human capital management system; starting in 2021, a new system for management was introduced and from 2022, a new system for general employees was established. Under the new system, jobs are assigned specific grades according to the respective position duties and responsibilities. Factors such as gender, age and race are not used in determining a job grade, and every job provides an equal opportunity for all employees. Aflac Japan’s total reward system provides competitive market-based compensation to acquire and retain talent. Aflac Japan’s Human Capital Management Policy Committee, which is led by the Aflac Japan president and consists of senior management, conducts annual monitoring of the Human Capital Management system for equity and fairness and evaluates job grades and compensation for consistency and adequacy.
Developing an inclusive workforce
Through its Women’s Empowerment Program, Aflac Japan surpassed its goal of reaching 30% of women in leadership positions in 2020 (assistant manager or higher) one year ahead of schedule, and more progress is being made. Aflac Japan has now raised the bar and is on pace for a new target of 30% of manager or general manager positions to be filled by women by the end of 2025 and has achieved our target of 23% by the end of 2021 on schedule.
In Aflac U.S., there are a variety of offerings for women to grow in their development and careers. High potential senior level female leaders are selected to attend prestigious development programs in their specific fields or in general leadership. Along with this, specific functional areas have created development programs designed to build the pipeline of female leadership deeper in the organization.
Diversity Councils
In both the U.S. and Japan, we have created diversity councils that include employees from various levels that meet each quarter to discuss activities and initiatives. The councils are designed to create avenues in which people can communicate and appreciate one another’s differences.
Download the 2021 Aflac Business & Sustainability Report here
Aflac is a Fortune 500 company, providing financial protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. When a policyholder or insured gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fairly, promptly and directly to the insured. For more than six decades, Aflac voluntary insurance policies have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress.
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