Impact Matters: Avove Proudly Supports National Inclusion Week
Explore our commitments to promoting equality and diversity in the workplace
The week is National Inclusion Week, which is dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion within the workplace to ensure everyone feels valued and respected.
Promoting equality, diversity and inclusion is extremely important to us, as we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to fulfil their true potential and feel empowered to be their true, authentic selves. We want to embrace the talents, skills, beliefs, cultures and abilities of all our colleagues, to create a vibrant and inclusive workplace where innovation and creativity thrives. Celebrating this week reflects our core values of respect, support and fairness and reaffirms our commitment to being a great place to work.
Raising awareness within the business
From the activity of our Communities of Practice (CoP) groups to company-wide learning opportunities, we have endeavoured to both implement and encourage initiatives that nurture inclusivity within the workplace.
Supporting LGBTQ+ Employees
Our LGBTQ+ CoP has undertaken several activities to improve inclusion. Firstly, we hosted a Pride ‘Lunch and Learn’ to celebrate Pride Month’s 25th Anniversary. We also organised a Pride-themed bake sale, which raised funds for MindOut, a mental health charity supporting members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Forces Friendly Employer
We were awarded the Silver Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme for our work supporting and encouraging careers for veterans and reservists within our business. We are proud to be a ‘Forces Friendly’ employer, supporting the careers of those who have and are currently dedicating their lives to serving our country.
We’re not stopping there though – we’re going for gold! This means further developing and demonstrating our forces-friendly policies for recruitment and selection and to support reservists within our business, which we’re committed to achieving.
Supporting Female Careers
We’re passionate about supporting women building successful careers within the utilities sector. We have a ‘Women at Avove’ group within the business that works to ensure the needs of women are met within the business, encourage male allies within the business and to support the recruitment and retention of female employees. We’ve offered access to ‘lunch and learns’ and webinars that offer information surrounding female issues, such as the menopause.
More Work to Be Done
We know that fostering inclusion within a business is an ongoing task, and our job is not finished. We are committed to doing more to ensure that everyone involved with our business, whether they are an employee, client or supplier, is empowered to be their true selves.
We are committed to diversity and inclusion
As a business, we have undertaken several initiatives to demonstrate our commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion within the workplace, including:
- Signing the Race at Work Charter: a public commitment to improving equality of opportunity within the workplace
- Becoming a Disability Confident Employer: demonstrates our commitment to supporting employees with disabilities and ensuring they receive equal opportunities
- Signing the Armed Forces Covenant: demonstrating our support for the Armed Forces community and showing that we are ‘Forces Friendly’ employer
- Being awarded the Silver Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme: which shows our commitment to supporting veterans and reservists by offering careers within our business and supporting them with established HR policies and procedures
- Joining the Women’s Utilities Network: encouraging the recruitment and retention of female talent within the business to build lasting, fulfilling careers within the utilities sector
- Signing the Social Mobility Pledge: a public demonstration of ensuring equal opportunities within the business
- Becoming a member of Women in Engineering Society: to encourage female talent within engineering and support their careers to help them reach their full potential
- Making the Mental Health at Work Commitment: to support better mental health for our people.
- Signing the Energy and Utilities Inclusion Pledge: to ensure we are creating a culture that fosters inclusion