UK-based engineering firm Dowds Group has launched an employee benefits package which it says is aimed at tackling the talent crisis head-on and will raise the bar for employers.
The package, which encompasses healthcare, holiday allowance, and enhanced sick pay, will support staff at all stages of their lives and careers, from school leavers on apprenticeships to long-serving employees approaching retirement.
The announcement comes at a critical juncture for both the construction industry and the broader UK economy. Unemployment across the country is at its highest level in almost five years – a pressure felt acutely in construction, which is expected to need 239,000 extra workers by 2029 to meet demand.
Dowd’s Employee Value Proposition is part of a two-pronged response to that challenge. It comes alongside Dowds Academy, a training and development programme offering apprenticeships, placements and opportunities for continuing professional development.
‘Soft’ and financial rewards
The benefits package was developed after extensive consultation with staff and stakeholders and combines ‘soft’ rewards with financial benefits. It has been benchmarked against leading Tier 1 and global organisations, utilising insights from professional services firms and industry-wide data.
Headline benefits include a basic rate of 41 days of annual leave, enhanced parental leave, and carers’ leave. Staff are also entitled to six months of enhanced sick pay, private healthcare and access to a 24/7 support service – a step towards tackling the root causes of the industry’s mental health crisis.
Louise McClelland, CEO of Dowds Group, said: “For the last 25 years, employment in the construction industry has been on the decline, yet we’ve seen little meaningful change to address that. The talent pipeline is fundamentally broken. New talent isn’t being encouraged to join, and long-serving employees aren’t being given enough reason to stay.
“But we want to change that. We’re confident that our total reward package is truly best-in-class, with a combination of hard and ‘soft’ benefits that’s difficult to match. Our hope is that this package, along with the Dowds Academy training scheme, will encourage people who might not otherwise have considered a career here to enter the industry. Not just those with a background in construction, but hard-working, resilient people who are eager to learn and who want to build a career aligned with our purpose and long-term vision.
McClelland added: “It’s also about recognising our people. The people who show up and do good work every day are the heart of our business. By supporting them from the first rung of the career ladder to the twilight years of their career, we’re committed to ensuring our staff feel encouraged and supported to do their best work.”
