Sogelife makes a commitment and signs the Lëtzebuerg Diversity Charter
On 12 May 2016, Sogelife made an official commitment in favour of diversity and equal employment by becoming a signatory of the Diversity Charter Lëtzebuerg.
The objective of this charter is to provide the 70 signatory Luxembourg organisations with a shared perspective on diversity, for them to unite around a shared text comprising six key commitments and for them to implement diversity management that goes beyond the legal requirements.
To that end, Sogelife has made a commitment to:
- Implement and/or strengthen a long-term initiative in favour of diversity,
- Fight against discrimination in all its forms,
- Strengthen its equal opportunities policy, particularly through an objective and fair recruitment and internal promotion process,
- Hone the skills of individuals.
On the evening of 12 May 2016, accompanied by several employees, Jean Elia, CEO of Sogelife, signed the Charter at an official ceremony in the presence of Corinne Cahen (Luxembourg’s minister for the family and integration and the patron of this initiative in Luxembourg). This year, 23 new businesses joined the movement. A conference on employment and migration led by Nava Hinrichs (Managing Director of The Hague Process on Refugees and Migration) and testimony from Riad Taha (a Syrian entrepreneur who launched his own company in Luxembourg) preceded the signatory session. The ceremony marked the end of Diversity Day: a day dedicated to the promotion of diversity throughout the country, particularly within partner companies via sessions aimed at employees.
Indeed, diversity is a true challenge for the company but in order for it to generate wealth, innovating and sharing, each of the company’s employees must feel committed to the initiative. This is why, as part of the Diversity Day, Sogelife organised an all-staff meeting for all of its employees, for the purpose of presenting the issues surrounding the signature of the Diversity Charter Lëtzebuerg and of providing an opportunity for discussion on this theme. The results of an anonymous questionnaire filled out a few days earlier enabled us to present a slightly “off-beat” portrait of Sogelife, by shining a spotlight on the differences between each of us. Because our culture, background, personal taste, personality and more affect who we are at work to a certain extent, making us unique individuals and a source of diversity for the company.
In this way, employees learnt about the evolution of the workforce of the company, which is in its 20th year, that 13 nationalities are represented, that 12 languages are spoken, that parity is adhered to and even that sport is a widely practised activity among employees and that we all harbour a love for Italian cuisine! But they also discovered that the widely divergent answers underscore a high level of diversity, which everyone must bear in mind in their relationship with others in the workplace.
After the session, employees made a symbolic commitment by signing a copy of the Diversity Charter, which is now on display at the company’s premises. A group photo was taken to capture the event that marks the start of this commitment.
Indeed, the next steps are the formalisation of an action plan and the communication on actions performed in favour of diversity in two years’ time.
For further information:
http://www.chartediversite.lu/actualites/bienvenus-nos-23-nouveaux-signataires
http://paperjam.lu/communique/cloture-du-diversity-day-letzebuerg-2016