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It starts with us

Diversity and inclusion

Together we are building a more inclusive business and fairer society. Diversity of thought, paired with a culture of inclusion, is vital when working with clients and customers who face increasingly complex challenges. It helps our business address society’s big concerns and makes abrdn a great place to be, where people are valued for who they are.

Our diversity and inclusion framework sets out our priorities:

• Part of our purpose
• Inclusive ways of working
• Diverse talent into and through our company
• Feeling included and valued everyday

You can read more about our diversity and inclusion progress and our priority areas for 2020/21 in our Diversity and Inclusion report. To find out more visit our Diversity and Inclusion pages.

A fair wage

We are a Living Wage employer, and were one of the first two companies in the UK accredited as a Living Hours employer.

In the UK, one in six workers – over five million people – are in low pay and insecure work, two million of whom are parents. They can often face cancelled shifts, have inconsistent hours each week or be on short-term contracts, making it difficult to plan ahead or meet costs.

The Living Hours scheme asks organisations to pay the real Living Wage and also commit to providing workers with at least four weeks’ notice of shifts, a contract that accurately reflects hours worked, and a contract with a guaranteed minimum of 16 hours a week, unless the worker requests otherwise. Organisations that agree to these measures are accredited as Living Hours employers alongside their Living Wage accreditation.

We believe that businesses that can provide this certainty and control to their workers are more sustainable, and will reap the benefits of their workers being able to perform at their best.

Investing with purpose

Our focus on fair work and inclusion is also through how we invest and influence change in investee companies. We are a supporter of collaborative initiatives such as the Workforce Disclosure Initiative, which is designed to encourage workforce and supply chain transparency.

In 2020, we also launched updated investment voting policies on issues such as board gender diversity, and we take voting action where investee companies do not meet our expectations.

More on our investing approach

Our human rights statement summarises our approach to identifying and upholding the human rights of our people, clients and customers, community and those impacted by our suppliers, partners and the companies we invest in.

Our modern slavery statement outlines our approach to tackling human trafficking, forced labour, bonded labour and child slavery.

At a time when people are having to take greater responsibility for their own finances, there is also an increasing demand for trusted advice and support to meet their needs. By supporting financial education – through initiatives such as KickStart Money and First Nations Foundation - developing solutions that make saving easier, and helping people access financial advice, we aim to help more people obtain the security and confidence to achieve their savings goals.