Get to know SCOR's Engagement Month
September 16, 2024
Strengthening societies, one community at a time
Life at SCOR
At SCOR, we strive to contribute to stronger, more resilient societies – and for our 3500+ employees around the world, there is no better place to start than in our local communities. Each year, SCOR’s Engagement Month gives employees the opportunity to get involved and volunteer for the causes that mean the most to them.
Engagement month is a flagship event of SCOR’s Working Well Together program and is led by our SCOR for Good community of employees. These initiatives are brought to life by our people, reflecting SCOR’s corporate values – care, integrity, courage, open minds, and collaboration – which we believe are key to contributing to a stronger, more resilient world.
June 2024 marked the third annual Engagement Month and each year the initiative continues to gain momentum.
“Engagement Month is a chance for all of us to have a positive impact in our local communities and to support global sustainability efforts,” says Juliette Sarrail, SCOR’s Head of Engagement. “We had more employees than ever get involved this year and we are incredibly proud of the commitment and enthusiasm we saw from our teams around the world.”
Throughout the month, employees had the opportunity to support their communities by volunteering with a variety of charities, fundraising initiatives, and food and goods collection drives. Many of these initiatives revolved around health, environmental, sustainability, and other topics that are closely tied to SCOR’s business.
“The great thing about Engagement Month is that it is a global initiative that has a tangible impact at a local level,” Juliette adds. “Engagement Month is a chance for our teams to collaborate in a way they can’t in the course of day-to-day work and furthers our commitment to corporate responsibility by creating avenues for employees to contribute meaningfully, share their expertise, and positively impact others' lives.”
By thinking and acting locally – both as a business and as individuals – SCOR helps to build resilience and fulfill potential among the communities we serve.
In just one month, SCOR employees volunteered more than 3000 hours. With a record 720 employees stepping up and getting involved, we were able to support 76 initiatives and donate nearly 1000 goods, including non-perishable foods, clothing, and school supplies. This year’s success is proof of the impact we can have together. Take a closer look at some of our initiatives below.
Impacting education
SCOR asked employees to identify which of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals best aligned with our business and our employees’ values and one of the three identified was “Quality Education.”
We see education as a fundamental asset in the fight against poverty and we also believe that our industry has a key role to play in educating the public about the importance and mechanisms of insurance.
So, when we find engagement opportunities that support education, our employees are particularly eager to get involved. During this year’s Engagement Month, SCOR teams from Cologne collected and donated school bags, pencil cases, and sport bags on behalf of the Katholische Jugendagentur Köln (KJA), an organization whose goal is to offer young people future-oriented life perspective and support them in shaping their lives regardless of their origin, social position, education and religion. These school bags were distributed to disadvantaged families, ensuring these young students have the supplies needed to succeed in school.
SCOR Mexico also saw an opportunity to have an impact on education as they volunteered with the AUTISMAX Foundation, an organization that is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with autism and their families. SCOR colleagues were able to help prepare teaching materials that will be used in lesson plans created by professionals to promote the development of young children on the autism spectrum, taking into account their specific learning needs.
Fostering community
SCOR’s Life and Health business works to reduce vulnerabilities among communities and individuals, promoting preventative measures and healthy lifestyles. One risk that is often overlooked is loneliness and isolation, which is notably seen among seniors. According to the World Health Organization, loneliness and isolation can increase the risk of early death by 25%, the development of dementia by 50%, and the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease by up to 30%.
To help fight this, our Singapore office took isolated seniors to the Bird Paradise Wildlife Park, giving them immense joy and excitement to these seniors. By giving them a chance to tell their stories and share a new experience, our teams were able to foster meaningful connections and community spirit.
Fighting hunger
In New York City alone, more than 350,000 people are homeless. Collaborators from SCOR’s New York office volunteered at the Bowery Mission, one of the oldest homeless shelters in NYC. The team helped to prepare meals for more than 500 people in less fortunate situations, helping give access to a balanced meal in a time of need.
Teams in Charlotte, Cologne, Milan, Paris, Singapore, and other offices also volunteered to collect canned and nonperishable food for local food closets and distribute fresh meals to those in need.
Rethinking environmental impact
Another of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals that SCOR employees found particularly relevant to SCOR’s raison d’etre is “Climate Action.” With increasing frequency and severity of natural catastrophes, our P&C business sees the impacts of climate change firsthand and risks are increasing on the L&H side as well.
As we support and encourage climate-friendly and sustainable practices throughout the business, our teams in India saw Engagement Month as an opportunity to look at environmental impacts from a different angle: fashion.
Fashion is the third most polluting industry in the world and produces 10% of the global annual carbon footprint. As consumers, we can help make a change with our shopping practices. Our team in India explored eco-friendly shopping practices, how to un-code greenwashing in the fashion industry, creating long lasting habits for a sustainable future.
To help play our part in reducing our footprint while also helping people in need get special clothes outside of their day to day, the team then hosted a “Share Your Wardrobe” drive to collect and donate clothes for upcycling, children, and special occasions.
Did you know?
Each year, SCOR employees have at least one paid day off that they can use to volunteer with the charity or nonprofit of their choice. They can use this day during Engagement Month or any time during the year! Want to join a global team committed to having an impact close to home? Explore our open positions now.
We are proud of our collaborators’ generosity and how each one of us has been helping in each way we can. Together, we can contribute to a stronger and more resilient world.