Diversity, equity and inclusion

At Sun Life, we’re committed to creating an inclusive and respectful environment, where all of our people can contribute to their full potential. A diverse workforce with wide perspectives and creative ideas benefits our Clients, our colleagues and the communities where we operate. Our success depends on it.

We take pride in our inclusive environment that not only supports our Employees in all their diversity but also reflects our Clients and communities, allowing us to better serve their unique cultures and needs.

Committing to diversity, equity and inclusion is the responsible thing to do, but it’s much more than that – it helps our Clients, colleagues and communities shine, it leads to innovation, collaboration and high performance, and it will continue to be a longstanding value at Sun Life.

Diversity, equity and inclusion strategy 2025

Sun Life’s enterprise strategy for diversity, equity and inclusion is focused on our Clients, Colleagues and Communities, and outlines our commitments toward specific goals by 2025. The strategy is built on three pillars: Learning, Building, and Leading.

Learn more about our commitments and activities in our first-ever DE&I Strategy Statement:

2025 aspirational goals

Sun Life has committed to aspirational goals globally, in North America and in the U.S. Through ongoing assessments, strategic flexibility, and data transparency, Sun Life strives to achieve these goals by 2025.

Allies Acting For Change

Allies Acting for Change is a diverse group of employees acting as an extension of our senior leadership to create a truly more diverse and inclusive organization through a mix of recommendations for both the short-and long-term.

Diversity, equity and inclusion at Sun Life

It’s important to us that we commit to diversity, equity and inclusion in the workforce in a variety of ways:

  • Recruitment. Sun Life has inclusive recruiting policies and practices, which are focused on obtaining diverse outcomes.
  • Leadership development. Our training programs help leaders understand and manage the unconscious biases that can influence actions and decision-making.
  • Regional programming. We reinforce our commitment to an inclusive workplace through regional programs and practices that reflect the unique nature of diversity in the geographies where we operate.
  • Measurement. Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Index, created from data in our bi-annual employee survey, allows us to pinpoint areas where we can continue to evolve diversity and inclusion in our workplace.

Why Sun Life supports diversity, equity and inclusion

Adopting and embracing inclusion:

  • Strengthens our culture and unleashes creativity, innovation and business value by welcoming different perspectives, experiences and beliefs 
  • Enables us to deepen our understanding of Clients in each of our markets and businesses 
  • Reduces and eliminates barriers to full participation in the workplace to help all of our people reach their full potential 
  • Is part of our commitment to social responsibility

Accessibility

At Sun Life we strive to provide products and services in a way that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities. We are committed to giving persons with disabilities the same opportunity to access our products and services and allowing them to benefit from the same services, in the same place and in a similar way as other Clients. This includes making our websites usable by and functional for persons of all abilities. We are also committed to meeting the needs of persons with disabilities in a timely manner, and we will meet applicable legislative requirements for preventing and removing barriers.

Supplier diversity

At Sun Life we recognize the diversity of our marketplace and encourage the inclusion of diverse suppliers as part of our competitive bidding process. We strive to provide equal opportunities and access to qualified diverse suppliers, while maintaining our high standards of quality, service and information security. Our mission is to promote the visibility and use of diverse suppliers across Sun Life’s North American supply base, and to support the communities in which we operate through a diversified supplier community.

Find out how to become a supplier