Two of the UK’s biggest construction contractors have won plaudits for promoting gender equality within their businesses.
Costain and Willmott Dixon, which placed 12th and 19th respectively in the most recent CN100 list, were both named in The Times’ annual Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality list.
The list recognises the most diverse and inclusive companies in the UK, specifically those that are making gender equality a central part of their business strategy. The Times produces the list jointly with Business in the Community (BITC), a network of businesses promoting progressive social change.
Costain was recognised for its diverse board and executive team. The contractor has also made its job grades, rewards and benefits systems more transparent. BITC also highlighted Costain’s new career-path framework, which gives people “more visibility about how to grow their careers”.
Willmott Dixon, meanwhile, was praised for its Women’s Leadership Programme, which was developed to generate a new group of women leaders. The contractor said more than half of the women who have completed the programme since it was launched in 2021 have been promoted or progressed their careers in a different role.
Willmott Dixon also focuses on inclusive work environments on site, including changing rooms, workwear designed for women and “period dignity facilities”. The contractor was also noted for its homeworking allowance, which is not pro-rata for part-time staff, most of whom are women.
Costain chief people and sustainability officer Catherine Warbrick said: “We know that by having a diverse workforce that’s representative of wider society, we’ll be able to deliver infrastructure solutions that improve people’s lives in a more impactful way.
“By appreciating and celebrating our differences, we’re creating a more dynamic, progressive and inclusive workplace for our people,” she added.
“We’ll continue to drive the equality agenda forward, identifying and implementing ways to attract and retain diverse talent while ensuring we’re helping our people achieve their career aspirations.”
Willmott Dixon chief executive Graham Dundas said: “Enhancing diversity at Willmott Dixon is a long-held company value. Our future growth and success depend on recruiting the very best people from a wide pool of talent across all sections of society.
“Our drive towards achieving gender parity by 2030 across all management levels is an important element of this.”
BITC gender equality director Charlotte Wordsworth applauded both contractors for being named in the top 50, but warned “there is still more work to do”.
“From addressing pay disparities to better supporting those with caring responsibilities, many employees, women among them, still face barriers to finding employment and progressing in their careers,” she added.
“It is every employer’s responsibility to play their part in reducing and removing gender inequalities from the workplace, and research shows this isn’t just the right thing to do, it also makes business sense.”
Despite the accolades, data released last month showed the percentage of women in construction hit a new post-Covid low.
Women also make up only one in nine top positions at major construction firms, as revealed in April.
But Costain successfully narrowed its gender pay, to 24.4 per cent from 26.6 per cent last year.
Information on this year’s Inspiring Women in Construction & Engineering Conference & Awards – hosted by Construction News and sister titles New Civil Engineer and Ground Engineering – can be found here