Inclusion, diversity and wellbeing

Inclusion & diversity

“Being inclusive is core to our approach as a firm. We want to be a place where everyone is valued for who they are and where they feel empowered to be themselves, as well as being reflective of our clients and communities. Some of the ways we're promoting inclusivity at the firm include the rollout of a new partner goal and detailed action plan; collaborating with our people networks to understand and share lived experiences of our team members, and embedding inclusion in all our people processes. We strive to be better and are driven by a culture of 'inclusion for all' at Forvis Mazars.”

Margaret Laidlaw
Partner, Member of the UK Executive

Commitments and actions we are taking to embed a culture of inclusion

Access accountancy

We are proud to be a signatory of Access Accountancy – an ambitious collaboration of employers and professional bodies, dedicated to improving access to the accountancy profession. Access Accountancy’s mission is to increase awareness and aspirations among young people to join the accountancy profession.

Social mobility foundation

We work with the Social Mobility Foundation and have been ranked #14 in the Top 50 Employers in the 2019 Social Mobility Index. The Top 50 Social Mobility Index recognises the organisations that are taking the most action to ensure they are open to accessing and progressing talent from all backgrounds.

Black Talent Charter

Forvis Mazars has signed up to the Black Talent Charter. Signing up to this means we are committing to increasing our black representation at the most senior levels within our firm. We will do this by setting targets and taking proactive actions to improve black representation.

Stonewall

We are proud to partner with Stonewall, the leading LGBTQ+ charity working with organisations to build more inclusive workplaces. As a member of their diversity champions programme, our aim is to ensure all LGBTQ+ team members feel safe, welcomed, and free to be themselves.

Women in finance

Forvis Mazars has signed up to Her Majesty’s Treasury Women in Finance initiative. Through this, organisations pledge to increase the representation of women in senior roles.

Menopause workplace pledge

We are very pleased to have signed the Menopause Workplace Pledge; in signing the pledge we have committed to making our organisation a supportive and understanding place for team members going through the menopause.

Business Disability Forum

Forvis Mazars are proud members of Business Disability Forum (BDF), working with them to create an inclusive workplace by removing barriers to improve the experience of team members, and create a disability-smart firm, through reviewing and updating our policies and processes from a disability inclusion lens, and ensuring our application and recruitment processes are more accessible.

Valuable 500

Forvis Mazars has signed up to the global initiative focused on putting disability on leadership agendas. As a firm we have made a commitment to play our part in creating a firm that is inclusive of all. Our commitment is “We will actively engage with our DisAbility network (disability network) through our Inclusion Alliance ensuring that the network plays a key role in the development of the firms’ policies and practices in relation to inclusion and both visible and hidden disability. We will provide a platform for the network to share more lived experiences to help educate and raise awareness of disability across the firm”.

Neurodiversity in Business

We have signed up to Neurodiversity in Business, a forum which brings experts and employers together to create more inclusive experiences for neurodiverse individuals.

By partnering with Neurodiversity in Business our aim is to build a better workplace for neurodiverse employees, whilst supporting those with neurodiverse loved ones and families, through raising awareness, breaking down stigmas and improving our internal support and resources.

Beyond grades

We hire talented people from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, recognising that potential doesn’t stem from people’s background. Strong academic performance is important; however, we understand that things don't always go to plan. Our recruitment process looks at your whole self – academic achievements as well as other experiences in which you have grown and developed. To ensure diversity in early careers recruitment we use Rare’s Contextual Recruitment System, using big data to help us identify candidates with the greatest potential. Allowing us to make more informed choices about candidates by considering the context in which their academic achievements have been gained.

Returners Programme

Forvis Mazars offers a supported return to those who have taken career breaks and are looking to return to the workplace. The support is available to those who have taken a career break of 18 months coming from financial services, accountancy, or a professional services background, and who were ideally at manager level or above prior to their career break.

Inclusion and diversity groups

We have a number of diversity groups. Their aim is to provide a sense of community, inspire and support diverse talent, and raise awareness of inclusion and diversity within Forvis Mazars. The inclusion and diversity networks are open to all and play a critical role in creating an inclusive firm focused on connecting individuals, driving positive change, and creating a culture of allyship. Our networks work closely with our senior leaders to impact change across at Forvis Mazars. The network groups include:

Balance - Gender network
DisAbility - Seeing the ability in disability
Embrace – Ethnically diverse network
Families@Mazars - Families network
LGBTQ+ Champions - LGBTQ+ network
SoMobile – Social mobility network

Our Faith Networks:

Christian Network
Muslim Network
Jewish Network
Hindu Network

Wellbeing

At Forvis Mazars we recognise there are many factors, both inside and outside the workplace that can affect our sense of wellbeing. We support our people to achieve a holistic approach to wellbeing through initiatives and services which consider physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing, social wellbeing, and financial wellbeing.

We want to create a workplace where all team members feel motivated and supported to give their best and are in good health, both mentally and physically, enabling them to achieve their full potential. Our support includes:

Well-makers

We know that wellbeing means something different to everyone and for us it’s important everyone feels included. In 2022 we created our Well-maker network – a well-maker is someone who will support the delivery of our wellbeing agenda, helping us to reach all corners of the firm. These individuals are active champions of wellbeing at work, and they help ensure our approach to wellbeing is seen and felt by everyone at Forvis Mazars.

Mental Wellbeing

We understand that sometimes individuals will want or need help outside of work, so we provide access to a comprehensive employee assistance programme which is accessible to all and offers further support to those who need it.

We also provide proactive support by providing a subscription to the Headspace app for all employees, along with regular monthly Wellbeing Drop-in sessions. These sessions are safe spaces that all are welcome to join, whether that’s to listen, ask a question or share a personal tip in relation to wellbeing. Our regular panel of Mental Health First Aiders share useful ways to look after ourselves, with relevant themes each month.

Mental Health First Aiders
In support of our commitment to mental wellbeing, we have trained Mental Health First Aiders across the firm who have been trained by Mental Health First Aid England. They have completed a rigorous two-day training course which has given them the skills to support individuals across the firm on a confidential basis. The role of the network is also to raise awareness and champion mental health across the firm.

Spot the Signs
People Managers are key to how well individuals feel supported at work and are often the first port of call when someone is struggling. For this reason, we provide mental health awareness training for all our People Managers– this ensures they feel comfortable and confident in spotting signs of ill-mental health and having conversations when someone needs support.

Physical Wellbeing

We want to ensure our people feel supported in maintaining their physical health, no matter what stage of life or their personal circumstances. We offer several benefits to team members which include access to a virtual GP service and cycle to work scheme to name a few.

Social Wellbeing

Our people networks and faith communities provide a place for connection and inspiration. As well as regular meetings, there are virtual community channels for each, providing an instant opportunity to socialise and collaborate.

Click here for more information on our communities.