Experian is a global data and technology company focused on lending practices, fraud prevention, health care, digital marketing solutions, and provision of insights across industries using a combination of data, analytics and software.
Reason for engagement
As one of the largest UK-listed companies and with more than 10,000 employees, Experian is assessed and ranked in the CCLA Corporate Mental Health Benchmark – UK 100.
What we did
We have been engaging with the company on this theme since 2022, when it was ranked in tier 3 (middle) in the first CCLA Corporate Mental Health Benchmark. It has been assessed and ranked annually since then. We have written four times to the company’s CEO on behalf of a sizeable investor coalition. We have had in depth meetings every year to discuss areas for improvement.
Outcomes
In 2022, while the company scored relatively well on the benchmark in terms of policy and related disclosures, there was work to be done to strengthen oversight, targets and performance measures. We provided the company with detailed feedback and recommendations for improvement. Towards the end of the year, it duly notified us of a new publication, its ‘Global approach to mental health and wellbeing’.
The document is comprehensive, covering Experian’s overall commitment and approach, its mental health offering (including programmes, benefits, support, resources and initiatives), its governance and oversight (from the CEO and board down to line managers and employees), and various measures of progress and impact evaluation. The company’s performance and impact metrics include reporting on the proportion of line managers who are trained in mental health and reporting on uptake of and engagement with mental health initiatives and programmes. Experian also publishes an ongoing key performance indicator based on the percentage of employees who say that the company is a psychologically and emotionally healthy place to work.
As a result of these efforts, Experian improved its benchmark score by 33 percentage points between 2022 and 2023 and was able to move from tier 3 to tier 1 (best), a position that it has maintained for three consecutive years. By 2025, it had improved its score by a total of 41 percentage points since 2022, making it the third most improved company of the 85 UK companies that had been in all four editions of the benchmark. In the company’s words, ‘The Benchmark has had a fantastic impact internally, driving meaningful change and progress year after year.’