Built environment firms recognised in gender equality list 

The Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality list recognises employers that are committed to ensuring gender equality in the workplace.

Among this year’s top 50 firms are Aecom, AtkinsRéalis, Costain, Jacobs and Willmott Dixon. 

Business in the Community (BITC), which oversees the list as part of its gender equality work, assesses employers on the policies and cultural interventions they have put in place to ensure gender equality, including addressing pay disparities, ensuring progression, offering flexible working and family-friendly policies, and tackling sexual harassment. 

BITC’s gender equality campaign focuses on equality for all genders and those who do not identify as a gender. 

Mary Macleod, chief executive of BITC, said: “It is imperative for employers to eradicate gender inequality in the workplace, not only because it is the right thing to do, but it will also unlock economic benefits for businesses and the UK. 

“The businesses that have made it into this year’s Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality list set an excellent example. While there is still much work to be done, the progress being made to ensure equal pay, career progression and offering enhanced flexible working and family-friendly policies shows that we’re on the right path.” 

View the full list of employers here.

Aecom’s strategy to promote equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) includes reducing the company’s gender pay gap and increasing the number of women across the workforce. 

The company has also introduced an EDI employee survey, which will help to inform its broader EDI strategy.

Colin Wood, chief executive, Europe and India at Aecom, said: "This recognition is testament to the hard work, determination and commitment of our teams to embed strategic, positive change at Aecom.  
 
"For our industry, gender inequality is an ongoing issue that we need to collectively address. We know we are not yet where we should be and we’re focused on continuing progress. But to have our commitment and action recognised by the UK’s most well-established listing is something to celebrate."

AtkinsRéalis’ inclusion reflects its measures and actions to help remove gender inequalities, from increased numbers of female apprentices and graduates to providing female employees with professional development opportunities and family-friendly policies.

In the last 12 months, the company has increased female representation at every level of the business from apprenticeships to senior leadership, including record-high numbers completing professional development schemes.

Richard Robinson, UK and Ireland president at AtkinsRéalis, said: “Being recognised as a top employer for gender equality reflects our efforts to champion diversity and reinforce an inclusive working environment at every level of the business.

"We’ve looked at every aspect of our business, from how we recruit and retain talent to the policies and benefits we offer and the way we shine a light on issues affecting women in the workplace, to the benefit of all our employees.

“This is a traditionally male-dominated sector and achieving gender equality needs a long-term commitment from across the industry. It’s also crucial to promoting innovation and delivering the best solutions for our clients: we need to attract, retain and promote top talent from all backgrounds to help engineer a better future for our planet and its people.”

Costain’s actions have included introducing a refreshed job structure, designed to provide greater transparency around job grades, rewards and benefits. A new career-path framework has also been piloted to give employees more visibility about how to grow their careers.

The company is running several career development programmes to boost gender equality. This includes its Empower programme, which is focused on supporting female progression and development.

Catherine Warbrick, chief people and sustainability officer at Costain, commented: “We’re proud of the progress we’ve made in improving gender equality and we place a genuine emphasis on the importance of increasing diversity across the organisation.

"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.

"We’ll continue to drive the equality agenda forward, identifying and implementing ways to attract and retain diverse talent whilst ensuring we’re helping our people to achieve their career aspirations.”

Jacobs’ TogetherBeyond approach aims to support a workplace where people of all backgrounds, gender, ethnicity, geography, disability, sexuality or any other characteristic, can thrive. 

The Jacobs Women’s Network supports gender equality initiatives within the company and in the wider communities it serves, through career development activities, networking events, community outreach and mentorships.

“This award demonstrates Jacobs’ continued commitment and success in taking demonstrable action to create equality in the workplace,” says Kate Kenny, Jacobs’ senior vice president Europe. 

“We’re significantly improving our global gender balance, with our aspiration to achieve 40% female talent, 40% male talent and 20% being a flexible measure – including any gender and those who choose not to identify or disclose.”

Currently, 32% of Willmott Dixon’s workforce are women, compared with 24% in 2018, the year the company announced its gender parity aspiration. In 2023, 53% of its management trainee intake were women, taking the proportion of women trainees to 46%, compared with 27% in 2018.

The company’s Women’s Leadership Programme is also providing a leadership pathway for women across the business.

Since its launch in 2021, 52% of women who have completed the programme have been promoted or progressed their career in a different role. The company’s target is to reach 100 women undertaking this programme by 2030.

Graham Dundas, chief executive of Willmott Dixon, said: “We are delighted to be named as one of the UK’s best companies for workplace equality.

“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.”