Our Inclusive Culture

At EKFB, we work collaboratively with our stakeholders and supply chain, promoting a culture where equality, diversity and inclusion flourish; where fair employment practices are standard; where there is considerate communication between all stakeholders and where we have a safe and healthy workforce, whose wellbeing matters to us.

We are committed to improving lives, communities and the construction industry by providing sustained employment opportunities. We’ll reduce barriers to work, upskill and work with young people and diverse groups to raise the profile of a career in transport, engineering and construction.

What is FREDIE?

Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement.

From reviewing the accessibility of our sites and communications, to rolling out training for our people and partners, to assessing the equality impact of our strategies and processes to ensure we address any potential adverse impact, FREDIE is the golden thread in everything we do at EKFB.

Our objective is to create, maintain and develop a truly diverse and equal organisation which is at the forefront of our industry. Everyone who works with EKFB has a contribution to make, and we welcome different ways of thinking, encourage innovation and aim to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels they are able to be themselves and raise new ideas. We want to ensure that FREDIE is embedded in our culture, reflected in our people and behaviours.

What role do you play in FREDIE?

You are one of the key contributors to this journey, and we expect to work together to truly unlock the social, economic and individual value of fostering a culture of diversity. Please see an outline of our expectations below:

• Compliance and Training: We expect our partners to recognise and understand the impact of the Equality Act and to comply with all aspects of this legislation – we appreciate that not everyone will be at the same stage of this journey and we are happy to work together so all our partners have a policy in place as a minimum. We also expect all workers in the project to be trained in FREDIE
• Data: We are also expecting our partners to monitor data on the diversity of their workforce (e.g. gender, age, race). This information will be held in strictest confidence and will only be used to illustrate and promote FREDIE and prevent unlawful discrimination.
• Collaboration: We would like to establish mutual collaboration to drive diversity, best practice and innovation, such as initiatives to ensure that we tap into a wide range of talent pools, recruitment practices that ensure a fair process, and participation on employee diversity networks.

Why is this absolutely key to the success of this project?

This is not just about getting the job done: we are committed to leaving a legacy by improving lives, communities and the construction industry as a whole by providing sustained employment opportunities. It is a shared responsibility for everyone working in the project to draw on the skills from an all-encompassing talent pool and to ensure that our employment policies and practices warrant equality of opportunity and treatment. We need to continue the work to reduce barriers into work, whilst raising the profile of a career in transport, engineering and construction.

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