PAGE 28 29 2/17/10 4:46 PM Page 2
of engineering and construction? qualified staff is expected this year in the EU alone.
Atkins, one of Britain’s leading engineering and design consultancies, Yet not all UK companies take this responsible approach. Despite more
also makes the IWD progressive company list and identifies policies women than ever before entering university education, and despite the
designed to promote equality: number of female executives rising rapidly too, there is still a significant
“Our Diversity Steering Group, made up of Atkins employees from pay gap between what women employees are paid compared to their male
around our business, drives the diversity agenda to challenge policy and counterparts.
practice and make recommendations for change. In the financial services sector, the gender pay gap is 55% for full time
“We have a Policy Excellence Team responsible for developing and main- employees – three times the gap for the economy as a whole. This figure
taining our HR policies. The team is made up of operational HR people who is advanced by the Fawcett Society in a ‘think piece’ they produced in
can see how the policies actually work in practice. This November, and is based on the Equality and Human
provides a huge benefit and enables the team to make Rights Commission Financial Services Inquiry of 2009.
changes if the spirit of the policy is not evident in practice. The Fawcett Society’s think piece – Closing the Gap –
The team meet monthly to review policies. contains much eyebrow-raising information. In full time
“Atkins prohibits sex discrimination against individuals work, a woman earns only 83.6% of a male’s pay packet.
in all areas of employment. Atkins currently extensively This drops to 65% in part-time work. And this pay gap
monitors gender against grade, salary, experience and increases the older a woman gets. The UK is in fact one
qualifications. Statistical analysis is produced showing of the EU’s villains on this issue, and our government has
gender as a comparison with salary and grade from a been upbraided for it.
national level down to individual discipline level within a The Fawcett Society maintains that one of the prime
business unit. Such information is used in relation to salary barriers to pay parity is the culture of secrecy which we
reviews, training opportunities and succession planning.” harbour in Britain: many employees are not permitted to
discuss salary with their colleagues. If a woman is unaware that she is being
First choice paid less than a male peer, she can hardly claim discrimination. Countries
The company also addresses board room diversity, saying they con- such as Sweden and Quebec which have introduced pay equity legislative
stantly seek to encourage more women as directors and board members. frameworks, with robust enforcement mechanisms to make sure employers
Atkins Group consists of a number of businesses, each managed by a busi- take action, have successfully addressed the gender pay gap. The UK is taking
ness board. The company says that there is at least one woman on almost steps; the government has acknowledged the imperative for increased trans-
all the boards, and in some cases more. Atkins also talk at length about parency around pay, and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)
how they specifically target their recruiting drives at women and the is leading on consultation to develop pay reporting metrics. It’s a start.
thoughtful measures they take to present themselves as a ‘first choice There are many more statistics which point to women still having some
employer’. way to go to achieve equality in the workplace – for instance that 45%
Atkins’ approach is to be commended, especially in view of the short- of FTSE 100 companies still have exclusively male boards. Yet matters are
age of women in the industries they represent. Science, technology and improving - for instance, the pay gap at 16.4% is a 2009 improvement
engineering are all areas where women are vastly under-represented – from 17.1%. It’s also a positive that highly influential bodies are dis-
and are the very same areas where a global skills shortage is imminent: a cussing such issues and planning effective action. Which is what
shortage of over 300,000 information, communications and technology International Women’s Day is all about.
Anna Kennedy, Winner of the
Smooth Radio for Life Award with Olay Definity
Anna Kennedy, is the co-founder of
Hillingdon Manor, a specialist school
Invite Engineering Experts
for children on the autistic spectrum.
The school, owes its very existence to
from Overseas
the dramatic experiences of the
Kennedy family in trying to find a
via our Distinguished Visiting Fellowship Scheme
suitable place for their two children.
• Develop international contacts and peer recognition
The two boys, Patrick (19) and Angelo
(17), were also the subject of the book
• Share expertise and harness world-class engineering capability
‘Not Stupid’, Anna Kennedy’s personal
• Exchange latest information and experience
account of the seemingly impossible
• Inspire students and staff through guest lectures and seminars
and often traumatic struggle to find an
• Explore potential for research collaborations, joint course
appropriate learning environment for
design and exchange programmes
children within the autistic spectrum.
Contact
Hillingdon, follows the national
Dr Imren Markes
Manager, Industrial Secondments and Visiting Fellowships
curriculum and caters for children
Tel: 020 7766 0615 and 020 7766 0600
aged 3 to 19. Co-founder and tireless
E-mail: imren.markes@raeng.org.uk
campaigner for the welfare of autistic
http://www.raeng.org.uk/research/researcher/dvfs/
children and adults, Anna was recently
Deadline for applications: rewarded for her enthusiasm and zest
31 May 2010
for life with the Smooth Radio, Live Life
Award sponsored by Olay Definity.
As part of The Academy’s
The Award has also helped her to
commitment to and
celebration of diversity
reach out to more people and is happy
we welcome applications
to report that she has already been
with applicants / visitors
from minority groups contacted by parents of autistic
and especially from
children who didn’t know about the
women who are
under-represented in
school until they heard her recent
engineering. All
applications, radio interview.
however, will be
judged on their Looking to the future Anna says she is
merit.
For more information visit
considering a second book and is now
www.annakennedyonline.com
committed to expanding Hillingdon.
actionetwork 29
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44