Fairness, Inclusion and Respect
We are determined that our business continues to be one where everyone feels included, valued and free to be their authentic selves. Respect for each other underpins our approach to ensuring our business is an attractive and comfortable place to work, somewhere that attracts and retains the best people, and a workplace where everyone strives for, and achieves their highest potential.
For us, being fair, inclusive and respectful means:
- Treating people as individuals, without bias and in a way that meets their needs
- Making sure everyone feels part of the team
- Accepting someone for who they are, even if they are different to you.
To read our Fairness, Inclusion and Respect strategy, please click here. Since the launch of our 2022-2025 strategy, we have made some excellent progress in raising awareness, taking positive action to address areas of underrepresentation in our business and building an engaged group of FIR Champions. We also have some excellent Network Groups, formed by passionate people in our business to support others and raise awareness.
Our RESPECT programme
Our RESPECT programme, launched in 2023, has a simple message - to respect our colleagues, even if they are different to you, and to treat everyone in a way that they, and you, would like to be treated.
A key piece of training that has been rolled out on our projects and sites is on ‘banter’ highlighting the need to keep banter friendly and ensuring it doesn’t tip over to being either ‘ignorant’ or ‘malicious’ banter resulting in negative consequences.
Taking positive action to attract and retain females in our business
We are passionate about the benefits a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture can bring to our business. We want to inspire women to come to work with us, stay with us for their careers and support them when they need us most.
- We have a ‘Women in Construction’ working group who identify and promote initiatives which help to attract and retain females in our business.
- Eleven females from around the business attended a trial of the ‘EMPOWER career development programme’ in 2023 designed specifically to support women to take the next step in their career. We’ve now committed to roll this out further.
- We have a female mentoring programme in VolkerFitzpatrick, and are seeking to roll this out further.
- Our Maternity, Adoption and Paternity leave policies have recently been enhanced.
- Gender decoding technology is used in our job adverts to detect and remove unintentional bias in the language used.
Our network of Fairness, Inclusion and Respect Champions
We have over 120 FIR Champions across our company. They are a group of volunteers from around the business who promote FIR principles with their colleagues through information and sharing, and acting as a ‘safe person’ to support and guide. Each of our businesses has a Lead FIR Champion who is responsible for helping to provide structure and networking between FIR Champions.
Providing FIR training and awareness to our employees
We have FIR training in place for new starters, project leaders and senior leaders, as well as regular awareness campaigns for all employees designed to broaden the mind. This is supported by a FIR learning portal for all employees to access information and resources around a wide range of FIR topics.
We publish company-wide awareness campaigns which have included disability, neurodiversity, age and race, as well as supporting National Inclusion Week and Pride.
LGBT+
The LGBT+ network aims to facilitate social and professional networking for LGBT employees whilst advocating for and raising awareness of LGBT issues, especially for marginalised and underrepresented groups.
The group seeks to ensure all LGBT matters are reflected in a positive, inclusive and fulfilling work environment whilst increasing visibility of employees who identify as LGBT, promoting equality across the organisation and reaching out to anyone within the LGBT community who may feel alone, vulnerable and marginalised. Our group is open to LBGT employees and allies.
Parent and Carers
Our Parent and Carer network provides support to parents, grandparents, guardians and people on the road to becoming parents. We also support our members who are carers for others, they may be carers for family, friends, neighbours etc.
We provide a safe space for our members to come together to ask for advice and support. The network meets every two months via Teams with sessions on topics our members have chosen and wish to learn more about including parenting support for young children and teenagers, carers rights, flexible working, adoption and family. We also have an active Teams’ group where members post useful information to help others and to ask questions.
Menopause
We have a great Menopause network which helps to signpost members to a wealth of information about how to cope with various symptoms at work (and at home). This group is open anyone going through Perimenopause, Menopause or Post Menopause, anyone who is affected by someone going through it i.e. work colleague, wife, girlfriend, daughter, partner etc, or anyone who is just interested to know what it is all about. We also host informative webinars by guest speakers.
Our Partners
Our partners help us meet our fairness, inclusion and respect goals.
