What if…we created a workplace for women to thrive?

Building a sustainable tomorrow means building a workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered. This International Women’s Day (8 March), we’re reflecting on the tangible steps we’ve taken to improve the experiences of women in our industry.

Shaping a safer, healthier and more supportive world of work for women

Poor fitting personal protective equipment (PPE) remains a challenge for women across our sector, with 1 in 5 experiencing injury and 2 in 5 reporting near misses due to poor fit. Together with our inclusion networks, we have introduced better fitting, more inclusive PPE and are working with suppliers to influence future design.

As Sabine van Hooijdonk, CHRO with responsibility for safety, comments: ‘Safety is about more than procedures, it’s about people. By improving PPE for women, we’re addressing risks that have gone unchallenged for too long.’

We’re committed to support that adapts to life’s changes. We run menopause awareness sessions in the Netherlands and offer support services in the UK & Ireland, where 33% of colleagues reported significantly reduced symptoms after 180 days.

Investing in conscious leadership

Our inclusion Networks – FEM@BAM in the Netherlands, and the Gender Action Network in UK & Ireland – strengthen women’s leadership capabilities by building confidence, practical skills and professional networks.

We equip leaders to role model inclusive behaviours. Inclusive leadership is built into management training in the Netherlands, and leaders in the UK & Ireland take part in a dedicated two day programme. Above all, everyone at BAM is expected to live our value of Inclusion and demonstrate behaviours that reflect it.

Looking ahead

This international women’s day, our Networks in BAM are hosting sessions for women and allies to learn more about inclusion. Ruud Joosten will join the FEM@BAM allies event as key note speaker.

‘It is essential we nurture a workplace where everyone feels included; firstly because it’s the right thing to do, and also this helps us to attract the diverse talents we need to deliver on our strategy.’ – Ruud Joosten, CEO

Being inclusive is a continuous effort, shaped by all of us every day. We’re strengthening our culture by improving safety and fairness, learning from speak ups, ensuring fair recruitment, and supporting women to build long careers at BAM. We’re proud of our progress, and this year we’ll carry out the Return on Inclusion audit to understand where we can improve further.