More than 40% of MetLife staff have taken the Banking and Finance Oath to help rebuild the industry’s reputation, the insurer says.

The oath was launched seven years ago by the financial services industry. It consists of a set of professional obligations to encourage an ethical framework for staff.

MetLife is the first insurer to support the oath at an organisational level. It has spent the past five months building a program to educate staff on the oath, including listening to talks from the Ethics Centre.

MetLife CEO Richard Nunn says the oath helps the company have important conversations with staff about how they operate and instills a commitment to high ethical standards.