Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, marched hand in hand with over 350 colleagues from the construction industry at Pride in London last weekend.
As a founding member of The LGBT Construction Working Group, known as #BuildingEquality, a group established to tackle homophobia and encourage more LGBT people to consider working within the industry, and one of the first major infrastructure companies to join the Stonewall Diversity Champions programme, to help employers develop inclusive workplace cultures, Balfour Beatty is leading the drive for diversity within the industry.
Christina Riley, Chair of Balfour Beatty’s LGBT Allies Affinity Network, said: “Alongside our LGBT Construction Working Group partners, we are taking the steps necessary to make our industry more inclusive. Marching in this year’s Pride in London is yet another example of how we are actively engaging with all members of the public to help encourage and create an environment that is reflective of the society in which we work.”
Balfour Beatty continues to implement new initiatives and solutions, such as the creation of its collaborative national networks to champion Intersectionality in construction and working with expert diversity and inclusion focused bodies to improve its workforce culture and achieve its ultimate aim of creating an inclusive working environment for all employees.
ENDS
Media enquiries to:
Vivienne Dunn
Balfour Beatty
+44 (0)207 963 2150
vivienne.dunn@balfourbeatty.com
www.balfourbeatty.com | follow us @balfourbeatty
All non-media related enquiries should be directed to +44 (0)20 7216 6800 or info@balfourbeatty.com
Notes to editors:
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Balfour Beatty is committed to creating an environment where all our employees can be themselves at work and perform at their best. As a global company, it is critical to our success that our employees are as diverse as the customers and communities we serve. In order to achieve this Balfour Beatty has taken the following action:
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Establishing diversity as a key part of the company’s Build to Last transformation. The diversity and inclusion three-year plan sets out strategic aims, objectives and, more importantly, metrics in support of our endeavours. Overseen by Balfour Beatty Chief Executive Leo Quinn its progress against these metrics is regularly tracked.
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Creating a range of national networks across the company to support BAME, Women and LGBTQ staff in creating a workplace that is more inclusive.
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With the support of its customers, Balfour Beatty is recruiting from a large and more diverse pool of talent. For instance, in collaboration with Network Grid, our Power, Transmission and Distribution division provide opportunities for ex-offenders to get back into employment. Our Rail division support the British Forces Resettlement Services and its careers events, through advising service personnel on careers within the construction industry.
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Working with expert diversity & inclusion focused bodies such as Stonewall and the Youth Women’s Trust to get guidance on how we can better improve our recruitment and workplace culture so that we can recruit and retain a talented and diverse workforce.
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Actively promoting and encouraging our women to enter awards such as the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards to overcome the perceived barriers to career progression.
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This year, Jwerea Malik, a Business Analyst at Balfour Beatty was awarded the Best Woman in Highways award at The European Women in Construction and Engineering (WICE) for her work in driving forward the Balfour Beatty Women in Business Allies Affinity network and in actively encouraging the use of safe reporting.
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Christina Riley, a Senior Planner and the Chair of Balfour Beatty’s LGBT & Allies Affinity network was also awarded the Corporate Rising Star award at the British Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) awards ceremony for her work in driving change within the business and more widely across the construction industry.
