Presented by CITB Scotland, the 'Be Fair' Accreditation Framework is a new industry-specific equality standard, which provides a structure for employers to address fairness, inclusion and respect (FIR) within their organisation.
Piloted in 2013 at 100 firm across the UK, the accreditation is being awarded to achieving companies who realise the business and commercial benefit of fully understanding, embracing and harnessing the diversity of the workforce, their customers and the culturally diverse environment in which they work.
Graham Construction is now the first major construction firm in Scotland to receive the Be Fair Bronze level award after successfully participating in the programme. Among the organisation's achievements were engaging staff and subcontractors, assembling a team of champions, developing a manual for the management, and standardising processes across the business in Scotland. The firm now hopes to reach Silver level by 2015.
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Michael Smyth, Head of Human Resources at Graham Construction said: "Graham has long been at the forefront of equality and diversity practice within the construction industry and we firmly believe that promoting equality in the workplace will be both beneficial to our staff and pivotal for our continued success.
"We are therefore tremendously proud to be the first large contractor in Scotland to achieve the Bronze level of the Be Fair framework, which has allowed us to benchmark our own activity to promote diversity against a national standard.
"To date Graham has assembled a Be Fair team of champions, who promote the equality agenda on every site and has developed a Be Fair site manual which can be adapted by managers to suit local needs. A system for internal auditing has also been developed which drives performance through healthy competition between our network of sites.
"We have been impressed by the positive reaction across all levels of staff and by our subcontractors to the framework and intend rolling the framework out across our project network during 2014."
Graeme Ogilvy, Scotland Director of CITB, added: "CITB is committed to promoting equality and diversity within the industry, an issue which was brought into even sharper focus following the introduction of the Equality Act in 2010.
"Be Fair aims to support companies which are committed to ensuring fairness, inclusion and respect exists within their workforce and organisation.
"This is the very first industry-specific equality framework, designed in consultation with the construction and built environment sector, which encourages businesses to adopt practices which will enable them to maximise the rewards of our rich and diverse economy."
www.citb.co.uk
(JP/MH)
