Pensions - Articles - Report on DEI in pensions and the wider business world

In a foreword from the Chair of the SPP EDI Group, Daniel Gerring, acknowledged the trend of a marked decline in the emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) but positively states, “Thankfully, evidence suggests that the UK pensions industry is not following suit.”

 

Evidence for a more positive outlook within the pensions industry comes from The Pensions Regulator’s (TPR) DEI guidance, which is reportedly being acted upon, “with impressive results already” and an SPP member survey this year which demonstrated that nearly three quarters of its members (73%) think DEI should be a “top priority” or “priority” in relation to its policy objectives.

 

The SPP has produced this important paper thanks to the help of numerous pension professionals from within the SPP and from a range of civil society groups including Disability Rights UK, The Donaldson Trust, The Social Mobility Foundation, Stonewall, UN Women UK, and the Race Equality Foundation.

 

As Gerring explains: “Having these experts' views collected in a single publication helps to identify consistent themes: above all, while there is much to celebrate, there is a great deal still to do to ensure inclusion…We hope that this collection of articles will help to further raise awareness and understanding of the continued importance of DEI, as well as stimulating debate both within the pensions sector and the wider business world.”

 

The SPP collection of articles demonstrates very clearly how businesses and the pensions industry can benefit from including diverse and talented people. The articles also show how much still needs to be done, both for those joining and working within the pensions industry and for the millions of people who rely on the industry - many of whom still face significant pension savings gaps.