Inclusion Initiative Aims for 1% Representation by December
Future Generali India Insurance (FGII) has announced a significant step towards workplace inclusivity by planning to ensure that specially-abled individuals will constitute 1% of its workforce by December. This initiative reflects FGII’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, aiming to create more opportunities for specially-abled persons within the corporate sector. FGII is implementing this through various supportive measures and training programs to integrate and empower specially-abled employees.
Key Highlights:
- Objective: 1% workforce to be specially-abled by December
- Commitment: Enhanced diversity and inclusion
- Support: Training and supportive measures for integration
As per Census 2011, PwD account for close to 2.21 per cent (2.68 crore) of the country’s total population of around 121 crore. Only a little over one-third (36 per cent) of the total disabled persons are currently employed across India.
Of them, nearly 47 per cent are male, while only 23 per cent are female, according to the data put out by the Office of the Chief of Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities.
Interestingly, only seven out of the NIFTY 50 companies employed over one per cent PwD on their rolls during FY23, with four out of them being in the public sector space.
It is to be noted that though there is no clear mandate for private companies, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, states that all public sector companies are required to reserve 4 per cent of all jobs for disabled people.
Inclusion, Rau said, is not about ‘tolerance’ but about ‘appreciating and celebrating’ the unique skill sets that people from such diverse backgrounds can bring on board.
The company’s hiring processes, including application forms, job descriptions, and career website, have been designed to reflect its commitment to being an equal-opportunity employer to tap into such a diverse talent pool.
Besides PwD, the company has also been taking several steps to reinforce its stance as a strong ally to the LGBTQIA+ community, who account for nearly 10 per cent of the country’s total population.
There is a need to foster an environment where every individual, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, has equal access to opportunities in education, employment and healthcare, it stated.
FGII has been bringing about change from within by relooking at its hiring policies, addressing unconscious bias and conducting numerous awareness sessions throughout the year towards sensitising employees and other stakeholders.
