Brokers say ideology, poor rollout and politics undermine DEI efforts 

Resistance to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in the P&C industry is largely driven by belief, say brokers responding to Canadian Underwriter’s 2025 Brokerage DEI Survey. 

A full 39% of brokers say they’ve witnessed opposition to DEI in the workplace. This sentiment is notably higher among those working at organizations with no diversity in senior leadership (56%) and those who are personally less supportive of DEI (65%).  

The research, in its fourth year, is supported by Sovereign Insurance and garnered responses from 227 Canadian brokers. 

Brokers who have witnessed resistance to DEI in the workplace believe the top reasons for this opposition are: 

• Political, social or ideological beliefs (44%) 

• Lack of understanding (40%) 

• A feeling that some individuals may be personally disadvantaged by these policies and initiatives (38%). 

Yet most brokers (75%) believe that DEI benefits all employees — not just those from historically disadvantaged groups. 

This belief is highest among those who support or appreciate DEI initiatives (96%) and lowest among those who reject them (10%). 

When organizations abandon inclusivity 

In verbatim responses, many brokers say the larger social and political climate, including outside of Canada, is driving companies to reduce emphasis on DEI. 

“People in positions of power are demonstrating that DEI is not important to them, which is empowering other leaders to abandon DEI,” says one Gen X (45-59 years old) broker in Ontario. 

When asked why some P&C organizations may move away from formal DEI programs, brokers say it’s mostly due to poorly implemented policies that produce embarrassing results (42%). 

“Experience with poor implementation,” says one broker. “Ripe to be gamed,” adds another. 

The second and third most cited reasons for why organizations are abandoning DEI policies are that focus is shifting to other priorities (37%) and budget cuts during challenging times (24%). 

Who’s being disadvantaged and how 

Still, there are groups who’ve felt left behind by the adoption of DEI policies.  

Those in the P&C industry who personally reject DEI policies are more likely (48%) to feel as if they’ve been disadvantaged by these same programs — which seek to promote the fair treatment of historically underrepresented groups. 

Similarly, a quarter (26%) of brokers working at companies with no diversity at the senior leadership level also say they’ve been disadvantaged by DEI policies. 

Among the total survey respondents, 20% of brokers feel they have been disadvantaged by workplace DEI policies. 

Written comments show many brokers claiming they’ve been disadvantaged by a DEI policy say they were rejected during the hiring process or passed over for promotion to a desired role. 

“Due to age (older), my experience sometimes is looked at as [an] obstacle to younger people who wish to take over leadership without qualifications,” writes one male Boomer (60-79 years old) broker in Ontario. 

“I feel I have been selected against when competing for a job as I am not a part of a diverse group,” writes one female Gen X-er at a diverse brokerage in Alberta. 

Several brokers who reject DEI say they’ve been rejected during a job hunt. “White males have become disadvantaged, fewer opportunities,” says one male Gen X broker from Alberta. 

The sense of being disadvantaged is less prominent among brokers who fully support DEI (13%) and those who work at organizations that are leading in diversity at the senior leadership level (6%). 

Specifically, those working at brokerages leading in senior-level diversity are four times less likely to say they’ve been disadvantaged by a workplace DEI policy than those at firms lacking diverse leadership. 

On the other hand, multiple respondents to the question say they’d experienced being disadvantaged due to a lack of inclusive or equitable policies in place at their organizations.  

Specifically, many female brokers express being paid less than their male counterparts. 

“Male employees being paid more for same job,” says one. “Brotherhood mindset,” says another.  

Another female broker from Alberta shares how her previous workplace did not offer inclusive policies or flexibility for working mothers. 

“As a single mother I was bullied and was treated unfairly by management in the past. I was told all the time ‘having children is no excuse to miss work’ when it came to sick time, even though I had no one to help me, ever,” she says, per a selection of her response. “[I] am forever thankful my new company understands and empathizes with my situation more.” 

How to engage with the opposers 

Most brokers (86%) say there are things organizations can do to respond to employers’ opposition to DEI policies. 

The top-cited actions brokers say organizations can take are: 

• Ensuring DEI policies are implemented with fairness and transparency (59%) 

• Listening respectfully (57%) 

• Engaging in dialogue (55%) 

• Communicating the benefits (50%). 

“Communication is the key to success,” says one male broker in Ontario. 

“DEI is not something that grows in the dark,” says a broker at a firm with some diversity at the leadership level. “Support, communication and respect are required by all and to all if the initiative is to be successful. Even those opposing DEI have the right to understand it better.” 

At the individual level, all brokers who personally support DEI initiatives (100%) agreed they’d be able to explain the benefits to a colleague who was neutral or opposed to them.  

The top benefits they’d use to explain the benefits of DEI are how the initiatives can: 

• Focus on collaboration, not division (69%) 

• Advocate for fair wages and work-life balance (58%) 

• Demonstrate the value of all employees (56%) 

• Ensure all employees are benefiting from these initiatives (55%). 

“There are so many [gamuts] of DEI that are not considered. The scope is wide on who benefits from DEI initiatives,” says one broker from rural Ontario. “It’s about access (ramps, sidewalk curbs), subtitles & closed captions on webinars, family restrooms, pay equity, parental leave, accommodations for a variety of disabilities, materials in different languages, company-covered mental health programs — the list is long.”