Gender equality remains a priority for us and we continue to put solutions in place to help us move forward. Some of our highlights include:
- We no longer ask candidates for their current salary, recognising that this can perpetuate lower salaries for underrepresented groups.
- With 17%* of our workforce caring for elderly relatives or a disabled adult, we’ve expanded our paid dependents leave to better support them. Our Carers@AXA Employee Network, also offers peer-to-peer support and our commitment has been recognised with the level 1 Carers Confident accreditation.
- We’re committed to supporting women’s health. As a Menopause Friendly Employer we offer peer-to-peer support for colleagues experiencng menopause and have introduced a menstrual health guide to help colleagues manage symptoms and to equip and support those around them.
- To improve financial security for new parents, in March 2025 we extended full pay on maternity, adoption and shared parental leave from 16 to 26 weeks. We also removed the 26- week qualifying period, so all colleagues are entitled to maternity, adoption or shared parental pay from day one of joining AXA.
- Our Balance Employee Network focuses on gender equality, working parents and male allyship, and continues to grow year on year. The network has successfully provided mentoring opportunities for colleagues, promoted Women’s health, and been the catalyst for upgrading 80% of offices with facilities for mums returning to work to be able to express milk. It has also been recognised for two industry awards as the “Gender Equality Network of the Year”.
- We launched Safe Spaces a training programme to help employers and individuals to create safe and supportive workplaces for colleagues impacted by domestic abuse and sexual violence, designed by AXA with the support of experts and charities/NGOs.
The Charter
The Women in Finance Charter, from HM Treasury, asks financial services companies to lead by example and commit to the progression and appointment of women into senior roles to help drive gender equality in the industry. We’ve committed to the Charter since 2017 because we want to build a diverse workforce that represents our dynamic customer base and, because we believe it’s the right thing to do.
Our commitment
We’ve set ourselves an ambitious target of having 40% of women in leader roles by the end of 2026. We’re proud to say that as of September 2025, 42% of our leader roles are held by women. We’re not stopping there though and are continuing to move forward, drive industry change and achieve gender parity.
I’m proud of our continued focus to create a gender balanced workplace and increase the representation of women in leadership and senior roles. There’s always more we can do, and we’ll continue to listen, improve and challenge gender bias to create a finance industry where everyone can advance and thrive.
We want AXA UK&I to be a place where people love to work, and fostering an inclusive culture with a strong gender balance is a key priority. Over the past two years, we’ve taken active steps to help colleagues thrive; we have expanded maternity and parental leave, developed menopause friendly policies, and launched a Carers Network. We remain dedicated to driving progress and contributing to a more gender-balanced sector.
How women are transforming our business
To put a shining spotlight on the talented leaders making waves and transforming our business, six of our senior leaders share what it’s like to work at AXA UK&I.
“When you work outside your comfort zone, you realise you can do this”
Women in Transformation
20 January 2022
AXA Ireland’s Chief Operating Officer Aisling Hayes shares how she came to be a leader, how she balances a busy work and home life, the importance of creating an environment where everyone can thrive and what innovation means to her and her team.
“It’s exciting to work on key innovation areas and solve challenges”
Women in Transformation
5 January 2022
Claims Transformation Director Melanie Kill talks about her award-winning team and how they support customers, why she wants to tear up any barriers for women entering the insurance industry, and the importance of developing her diverse team.
Careers with AXA UK: Ready to grow your potential?
If you’d like to join an inclusive company focused on helping you thrive.
* Based on a disclosure rate of 73%