The Workability Inclusion Network at Willis Towers Watson

The Workability Inclusion Network welcomes all colleagues with an interest in disability, wellbeing and health-related matters at work. We are committed to challenging attitudes and increasing understanding related to disability, removing employment barriers for disabled people and those with long-term health conditions and ensuring that disabled people have the opportunities to fulfill their potential.

Willis Towers Watson’s Workability Inclusion Network is comprised of people who share a common goal in enabling Willis Towers Watson to become disability confident. Our members have direct or indirect experience of disability (such as living with a disability or who have family, colleagues or friends with a disability) and want to use this combined experience to benefit their colleagues and Willis Towers Watson, in addition to obtaining support from others.

Workability focuses on making sure that the specific needs of our disabled colleagues and those who work with them are being met.  In particular, we want to ensure that our office environment, our IT platform and our HR policies and practices fully support all Willis Towers Watson colleagues, encouraging retention, and that the recruitment process for both graduates and experienced hires are fair to all who take part.

What does it have to do with you?

Only a small proportion of disabled people are born with a disability - more than three quarters of disabled people acquire their disability as adults. Most disabilities and long-term health conditions that impact on quality of life are non-visible – think of mental health issues, dyslexia, diabetes, epilepsy, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, etc. - the list is very long! 

Anyone can be affected either personally or through a colleague, family member or client - almost five million people in the UK care for a friend or relative.

Success Stories

The Workability network has been leading the way in raising awareness about mental health. We trained over 50 Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Champions across 15 UK offices; this is in addition to the MHFA-trained colleagues that sit within our HR teams. We are looking to expand this programme in 2018 and continue to raise awareness about and remove the stigma of mental health in the workplace.

Willis Towers Watson is proud to support the Time to Change pledge. Our goal is to enable open discussions around mental health thereby removing its stigma in the workplace and, enabling people to come to work as their true and whole selves. We strive to lead a workforce that is supported and lives a happy and healthy life inside and outside work.

Our major campaign for 2016 was Dyslexia Awareness Week in October, which resulted in many colleagues making inquiries about available support and requests for dyslexia assessments.

In addition Willis Towers Watson launched a series of open, personal stories on our ‘This is Me’ intranet page to support the company in moving toward being a disability-confident organisation. New colleague stories are added each month showing how different disabilities and health conditions can impact us in our day-to-day, lives both at and outside of work. Our current stories include diabetes, dyslexia, mental health and caring for children or partners with a disability.