Nicola Ihnatowicz shares five steps that can help companies in the built environment make their workplaces more inclusive to women.
According to the Office for National Statistics, only 15% of professionals in the UK construction industry are women. In a sector with significant labour shortage issues, how can recruitment and retention levels for this group of the workforce be improved?
Construction is, and is still perceived as, a very male-dominated sector, so the first step should be making construction jobs appealing to women. One way to do this is through early engagement at schools and further education colleges to showcase the benefits and possibilities of a career in the industry.
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But what happens once women have taken up jobs or apprenticeships in the sector? Recruitment itself is not enough. A total of 46% of women in the built environment leave the industry before the age of 34, according to the 2023 diversity survey by the Supply Chain Sustainability School.
Here are five steps that can help construction become a more welcoming industry for women and encourage them to stay.
1. Avoid discrimination and harassment
This goes without saying, but it is important to have proper policies in place that protect women from discrimination and harassment. It won’t be enough to just draw up equality, diversity and inclusion policies: they should also be implemented effectively and properly embedded with regular training.
Make sure that there is proper provision for women returning to work from maternity leave.
2. Think inclusion
Inclusion is usually mentioned at the same time as equality and diversity, but has often been overlooked in favour of the other two, more measurable objectives. It goes beyond supporting those with the characteristics protected in the Equality Act 2010 and is more about removing barriers and helping employees feel safe to be themselves at work.
Inclusion goes to the heart of employees' sense of belonging in the workplace, and the feeling that they are being seen, heard and valued as individuals. It is important that women feel included within the working environment and this can mean recognising a range of matters such as fertility and caring responsibilities to the menopause.
3. Take positive action
The Equality Act 2010 contains positive action provisions that enable employers to encourage people who share a protected characteristic to overcome or minimise the identified disadvantages, or participate in activities in which they are underrepresented.
There is some useful government guidance available, including Positive action in the workplace, which helps employers understand how they can use positive action appropriately to remove barriers to diversity in their workforce and enable equality of opportunity. The guidance covers positive action and what it is, how to implement it lawfully, and how to monitor and review its use.
To feel included and supported in the workplace, it’s important for women to see themselves reflected in the organisation. Low-cost initiatives such as mentoring, shadowing, targeted training courses, and positive action in recruitment can all help in the move towards a more diverse and inclusive environment.
The construction industry needs to encourage and enable women to occupy visible roles to inspire the next generation of women.
4. Be flexible
Where possible, offer a flexible approach to working hours. Agile working practices can offer real support to those with caring commitments (all parents, grandparents, children of ageing parents and others). Flexible working can range from working from home and working flexible hours/shift patterns, to job-sharing arrangements.
Make sure there is proper provision for all parents returning from family-related leave, especially women returning from maternity leave. They should not be made to feel that there is no longer a place for them if they cannot fit back into a full-time work culture. It’s important to be able to harness their experience and expertise. A failure to offer flexibility on their return to work may well result in them leaving for good.
5. Close the gender pay gap
The construction industry still grapples with a sizeable gender pay gap, with women earning up to a third less than their male counterparts.
Ways of tackling this have already been touched on. Think about using positive action while recruiting and promoting staff, help women progress their careers without putting barriers in their way, offer flexible working and make sure that promotion, pay and reward processes are transparent.
Finally, put in place an action plan containing clear, specific targets which will help narrow the gender pay gap.
Nicola Ihnatowicz is a partner in the employment department at Trowers & Hamlins.
