Aflac Unveils 2017 Corporate Social Responsibility Report

Staff Report From Columbus CEO

Thursday, September 13th, 2018

Aflac, the leader in voluntary insurance sales at U.S. worksites, celebrated its 2017 corporate social responsibility accomplishments by unveiling its 2017 CSR Report: More Than a Promise. The comprehensive report highlights the actions and initiatives led by the company's leaders, employees and independent sales agents, bringing to life and going beyond Aflac's 63-year promise to be there when you need us most.

The report reflects Aflac's dedication to bringing value to the community through ethics, diversity and inclusion, philanthropy and sustainability – elements deemed of the highest importance by Reputation Institute, the gold standard in reputation tracking.

"Aflac stands firmly behind the promise that we have kept since the founding of the company in 1955: to operate our business in a way that is both profitable and responsible," said Aflac Chief Brand and Communications Officer Catherine Hernandez-Blades. "From the inception of our One Day PaySM model to the invention of My Special Aflac Duck™, a robotic duck designed to help children and families engage and connect as they go through cancer treatments, our company raises expectations year after year, striving to deliver on a commitment to our community, shareholders, policyholders, employees and independent sales agents."

This year, Aflac honors policyholders and several employees and independent sales agents who have embodied this year's theme, "More than a Promise." Through shared stories about courage and demonstrating Aflac's ethical business practices, productive and inclusive workplaces, philanthropic efforts, environmental sustainability initiatives, and global perspective and reach, the annual CSR Report sheds light on Aflac's programmatic efforts to live by and operate under the notion that being a good corporate citizen is not only the right thing to do, but it is also good for business.

These "CSR Heroes" delivered more than a promise:

    • Billy Cable and his son, Chase: An Aflac policyholder who, along with his son, risked their own safety during Hurricane Harvey in Houston to save 10-month-old baby Sophia and her mother, an Aflac independent sales agent;

    • Angela Vitellaro: An Aflac independent sales agent who encourages goal setting, community interaction and healthy living by coaching young women through Girls on the Run in New Jersey;

    • Diane Hintz: An Aflac independent sales agent who raised more than $83,000 through various fundraising events in Michigan to support American Cancer Society;

    • Ken Dowless: An Aflac employee who honors the company's ethics program through relentless fraud monitoring, security assurance and privacy protection for each facet of Aflac, from independent agents and employees to policyholders, ensuring that customers and investors are protected;

    • Sherricka Day: An Aflac employee who serves the community through philanthropy, leadership and community involvement, particularly with teenagers seeking to become entrepreneurs;

    • Amanda Gordy: An Aflac employee who responded to her daughter's cancer diagnosis and cure by giving and supporting the community that supported her during difficult times;

    • Tarisha Fields: An Aflac employee and self-proclaimed lifelong environmental conservationist, she looks to the future, encouraging sustainability by promoting green living, gardening, composting, recycling and more;

    • Aflac Japan CSR Team: These Aflac Japan employees champion community involvement in Chofu City, Japan, by hosting communitywide events to support national Health Sports Day, reaching more than 20,000 residents.

In the fall, Aflac will launch an online interactive web quiz for elementary-aged children personifying several elements of corporate social responsibility. The quiz will arm educators with an interactive resource that encourages citizenship through example, investing in tomorrow's leaders today.

"We are very excited about this new resource, as we know it can help create a new generation of leaders who will prioritize the importance of giving back. It will encourage teachers, parents and counselors to focus a part of their lessons to the very important idea that being a strong leader starts with caring about others," Hernandez-Blades said.

The 2017 Aflac Corporate Social Responsibility Report marks the company's third year of dedicated work toward adherence of the Global Reporting Initiative criteria, the world's most widely used sustainability reporting framework. The report also includes the first year of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals reporting, contributing to Aflac's global shared value. Disclosures that fulfill GRI G4 Core and UN-SDGs, the latest guidelines, are noted throughout.