How we’re celebrating Hispanic communities beyond Hispanic Heritage Month

To celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15), we’re shining a light on the Hiscox Latino Employee Network (HLEN) and the work they do at Hiscox and in local communities. 

However, we’re not stopping there. We’re committed to covering the work that HLEN does on a regular basis because the contributions of Hispanic communities should be recognized year round, not only during this celebration. The Hiscox Hispanic initiative, a project to provide services and support to Spanish-speaking small business owners, will play a big role in keeping the conversation going, but more on that to come. 

Meet the Hiscox Latino Employee Network

HLEN is led by Dianne Paliouras, US Property Services Manager at Hiscox. The network was founded in 2018, and is committed to making a difference using time and best efforts, of its employee members to make Hiscox a better place to work based not only on diversity of thought, but by using their personal experiences and backgrounds to build a rich culture in our company. The HLEN welcomes all Hiscox employees to join.  

The network is made up of individuals from various departments at Hiscox and across multiple Latin countries, however, the network underscores the fact that you don’t need to be of Latin heritage to join the group.  

“We encourage people to know that this network is not only for Latinos to join. It is for everyone who would like to become part of the familia. It’s a great way to meet people outside of your department,” Dianne says.    

Network social events

HLEN hosts many events (virtual and in person) to bring its members together and to celebrate different cultures and food. “We’re planning a luncheon to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in several of our offices,” Dianne said. “We’ll have snacks and treats from Latin America for everyone to enjoy.” She notes that last years’ events in the Atlanta and New York offices were very successful, and she’s hoping for even more participation this year.  

The network also holds monthly cafecitos, where members meet to check in on upcoming events and share ideas.  

Community involvement

The network also has deep roots in the community. To achieve its mission of fostering cultural and professional growth, HLEN consistently works with non-profits and charities to push their message forward. Here are some of the ways HLEN is working within the community.

1. Partnership with the Junior Achievement program in Georgia. Members of HLEN volunteer to put on simulated economic situations that teach middle and high school students the groundwork of managing personal budgets.  
   They also work on business plans and other entrepreneurial and learning projects. 
    
2. Partnership with Maestro Cares Foundation, which is dedicated to improving the quality of life of disadvantaged children in Latin America and the United States. With funds collected by the Hispanic Latino Employee network, Dianne recently travelled to Guatemala to sponsor a lunch for mothers and children at the SOS Guatemala Day Care Center, as well as provide toys and coloring books for the children.
   
   

What’s on tap for NHHM

To celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month this year, HLEN has some exciting ideas to bring people together and share in our pride for Hispanic communities.

Dessert potluck

For this year’s National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrate, the HLEN will sponsor a dessert potluck and dance contest in Hiscox’s Atlanta office. All employees are invited to celebrate, connect and dance! They can bring a homemade or storebought dessert if they like. There will be delicious sweet treats and some prizes for the best dancers

Spotify playlist

The network created a Spanish Spotify playlist to celebrate NHHM. The playlist includes bachata, salsa, merengue, Spanish pop, rock, and more. You can listen to the playlist here.

Why we’re not stopping here

The conversation around Hispanic communities isn’t stopping here, at least not for Hiscox. 

Hiscox has been chipping away at a new initiative to create a landing page exclusively in Spanish and equip our call center with Spanish-speaking customer service representatives to support Spanish-speaking customers. This was an important decision for Hiscox to ensure that we’re supporting the large community of Hispanic-owned small businesses in the US. 

We will continue to update our blog with more exciting news from HLEN and developments on our Spanish initiative. Make sure to visit Hiscox.com in Spanish and call our call center at 1-855-744-2300 if you are a new or existing customer looking for service in Spanish.

To find out more about things going on at Hiscox, our employees, and customer stories, visit the Celebrate Courage page.