Employees

It is vital for a knowledge company such as Swiss Re to have a highly qualified and motivated staff covering a vast range of expertise. Ultimately, the company’s success is dependent upon the calibre of its employees.

Swiss Re invests considerable resources in providing a first-rate working environment within which people can learn, develop and perform.

Global benefits

As a global company, Swiss Re provides a customised package of employee benefits for each of the locations at which it operates. By fostering the health and well-being of employees, the benefits offered are designed to:

protect employees and eligible family members against the financial consequences of certain risks, including accident, sickness, disability and death;
allow employees to accumulate retirement benefits and/or long-term savings to supplement state old-age provision.

Swiss Re employees are also invited to take advantage of specialised Group-wide programmes including:

COyou2 which offers a cash subsidy for products and services that staff members purchase to reduce their personal carbon footprint; and
the Employees Participation Programme (EPP), a savings plan coupled with a share purchase opportunity to which the company contributes.

Health and the working environment

Swiss Re has a strong record in caring for the wellbeing of its employees. The company goes to great lengths to create a pleasant working environment. Advanced architectural design at major offices in Zurich, London, Munich and Armonk provides the combined benefit of healthy working conditions and buildings with a reduced environmental impact. Inside the company’s buildings, special attention is given to ensuring an appropriate balance of lighting, heating and/or cooling to ensure a healthy room atmosphere.

Swiss Re is aware of the pressures which working in the global economy can put on its employees. Psychological pressures leading to symptoms of stress or fatigue have a debilitating effect on a person’s professional and private life. To encourage awareness of the risks the company has taken various measures including holding “Employee Health Days” and stress, as well as work-life balance seminars. Employee Assistance Programmes and similar offerings have been introduced at various locations to provide staff and their families with 24-hour advice on work-related and personal problems. These services are anonymous, confidential and provided free of charge.

Training

To help employees maintain their skills and provide opportunities to develop others, such as management training, the company has a large variety of opportunities within the Swiss Re Academy which also offers courses for clients and various mixed (client/employee) training. The Academy’s programmes run under the main educational themes of Business Skills Development and Leadership & Cultural Development.

Equal opportunity and diversity

Swiss Re is committed to ensuring that company workplaces provide equal opportunities in all respects. This is further strengthened by the PDF Icon Group Code of Conduct with its dedicated section on discrimination and harassment which explains how unacceptable behaviour can be reported. Swiss Re also operates a whistle-blowing policy and offers explicit protection for anyone reporting violations in good faith.

Further details on employee-related topics can be found in the annual Corporate Responsibility Report.