Wates and Willmott Dixon have both won a place in The Times Top 50 Employers for Women 2022 list.
The list is run by Business in the Community (BITC), the Prince’s Responsible Business Network and The Times.
The list identifies companies which make gender equality part of how they do businesses.
It assesses organisations on the work they do to remove the drivers that enforce gender inequality, from flexible working and family-friendly policies to pay, reward and progression.
Policy overhaul
In 2020, Wates announced a complete overhaul of its family-friendly policies, including enhanced paternity/partner leave, increased maternity leave and carer leave, to enable a greater sharing of responsibilities at work and home, and to help promote the development of a more inclusive culture.
Wates also has a target to achieve 40% female representation at all levels within the business by 2025. Earlier this year it issued guidance to colleagues on recognising and responding to menopause at work and has recently worked with the Fawcett Society to publish the largest-ever survey of menopausal women, resulting in the Menopause and the Workplace report.
“It is important that contractors are featured in The Times Top 50 Employers for Women 2022 list as it shines a spotlight on construction as a great industry to work in.”
Meanwhile, Willmott Dixon has appeared on the list for the fourth successive year.
Willmott Dixon aims to achieve gender parity across all levels of the business by 2030.
Inclusivity for better outcomes
Rick Willmott, group chief executive at Willmott Dixon, said: “I believe an inclusive and balanced business leads to better outcomes for our customers alongside making us a great place to work, where our people feel challenged, content and able to make a difference.
“It is important that contractors are featured in The Times Top 50 Employers for Women 2022 list as it shines a spotlight on construction as a great industry to work in, which is vital if we are to encourage more women to choose our sector as a place where they can enjoy a rewarding career.”
Nikunj Upadhyay, inclusion and diversity director at Wates Group, said: “Being a Times Top 50 employer is a strong endorsement of our Inclusion and Diversity efforts. We believe that the best places to work are those that promote a culture that includes everyone. This not only creates opportunities for individuals, but also enables the business to succeed in the future as a result of benefiting from greater diversity of talent, skills, and experience.
“We are only at the start of our journey. This recognition strengthens our commitment to drive positive action both within our business and the built environment sector more broadly.”
Progress on gender equality
“The Times Top 50 gives us hope that we are making strong progress in our goal towards gender equality.”
Katy Neep, gender equality campaign director at BITC, said: “The cost-of-living crisis following hot on the heels of the disproportionate impact of covid-19 faced by women has further shone a light on how far we have to go on gender equality. Without action from all employers, we will end up chasing our tails while trying to eradicate the inequalities gap and create truly inclusive workplaces for all women.
“The Times Top 50 gives us hope that we are making strong progress in our goal towards gender equality and in our 40th year we call on all employers to be bolder, braver and faster in achieving that goal.
“This year’s application process was the most competitive one we have ever seen. Employers like Wates haven’t lifted their foot off the pedal when it comes to supporting women at work and they are a strong example of what commitment to making gender inequality a thing of the past looks like.”
