Why some P&C insurance brokers reject DEI initiatives

If personal beliefs drive resistance to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace, then no amount of top-down policy will stick unless the company’s culture changes too.

Across the country, 39% of brokers responding to Canadian Underwriter’s 2025 Brokerage DEI Survey say they’ve witnessed resistance to DEI in the workplace. And they list three main reasons for this opposition:

• Political, social or ideological beliefs (44%)
• Lack of understanding (40%)
• A feeling that some individuals may be personally disadvantaged by DEI policies and initiatives (38%).

The research, now in its fourth year, garnered responses from 227 Canadian brokers and is supported by Sovereign Insurance. 

To overcome opposition to DEI, brokerages must make clear why it’s important to their businesses, and how their staff members fit into the picture.

“People don’t really understand what DEI means and how it can be implemented into their day-to-day work life,” says Melissa Bajwa, vice president of compliance and broker network operations at Prolink. “We need to connect DEI to our internal values. [Lead] with fairness, respect, opportunity, better communication; being transparent, instead of leading with labels and a mandate.”

That means connecting diversity initiatives to the brokerage’s values — the fundamental beliefs and principles guiding a company’s culture, behaviour and decision-making — and then following through by providing thoughtful explanations and opportunities for skills development, experts tell Canadian Underwriter.

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“It’s really embedding DEI into your existing processes in a natural way, rather than making it a side project, a checklist, because it doesn’t come across as authentic, and you won’t get buy-in as much as you’d want to,” she adds.

Division denied

A majority (75%) of brokers responding to the survey say they believe DEI benefits all employees, not just those from historically disadvantaged groups.

This perception is most common among employees who personally support or appreciate DEI initiatives (96%), and least common among people who reject them (10%).

Almost half (48%) of brokers agree with survey statements about whether DEI initiatives tend to create division, especially in the workplace. This sentiment is lowest among those who support or appreciate DEI initiatives (28%), and highest among those who reject DEI initiatives (95%).

In a verbatim response to CU’s survey, one broker suggests DEI can evolve naturally if people of different backgrounds simply wind up in the same workplace. “I work in a great shop overall. We are a mixed bag and play well together,” they say. “Not because of any rules, but because that is how we are wired.”

Ninety-six percent of brokers answering the survey were asked to indicate their level of support for certain ways managers can help employees discuss polarizing topics at work without causing division. Methods ranked in the Top 3 are:

• Demonstrating how to treat everyone with kindness, especially those you disagree with (57%)
• Encouraging and rewarding respectful dialogues (52%)
• Creating a safe space for staff to have uncomfortable conversations and move forward (45%).

This article is excerpted from one that appeared in the August-September print edition of Canadian Underwriter.

Alyssa DiSabatino

Alyssa Di Sabatino has been a reporter for Canadian Underwriter since 2021, covering industry trends, market developments, and emerging risks.