To celebrate International Women’s Day 2023, we’re looking at why it’s so important that we all #EmbraceEquity, and the steps Argyll has taken to move towards a more equitable future.
Beyond equality… the mission is gender equity
These terms are often used interchangeably, but they’re different concepts. Equality is about fairness. It is the belief that men and women should be treated the same way and given equal opportunities, regardless of their differences.
But the world now recognises that equality is not enough – because women often don’t start from the same place. The ambition is equity.
Levelling the playing field
Equity in the workplace means providing all employees with what they need, to reach an equal outcome. Our individual circumstances, and systemic bias, often make it difficult for women to achieve the same things as men. The goal of equity is to remove the barriers that can prevent women from thriving.
Moving towards equity at Argyll
We’re proud to have strong female representation in our team: 56% of our leadership team is female, while 58% of our General Managers are women. But we know this is not enough. We’re committed to ensuring women at Argyll feel seen, supported and empowered. Here’s how:
- We hire for potential and personality. We’ve changed our hiring policy to put less emphasis on past professional experience. This opens the door to those who may not have had access to education or previous opportunities.
- We appreciate the value of financial and job security. New starters don’t have to complete a probationary period, giving peace-of-mind from day one.
- We recognise the importance of work-life balance. So we’ll consider flexible working requests from the day you join. In fact, we’ve approved 97% of the requests we’ve received.
- We support you through pregnancy and beyond. We’re introducing a supportive IVF policy. Our enhanced maternity and surrogacy leave gives women 12 weeks’ full pay, and 12 weeks’ half pay.
- We’re there for you through difficult times. Our pregnancy loss policy gives both men and women up to 4 weeks’ leave (or more), with full pay.
- Your wellbeing is important to us. So we’re introducing a menopause policy to support you at what we recognise can be a challenging time.
- We believe in opportunities for all. Our training and development programmes are available for all levels, across our team.
Stories from our people
We asked some of the women on our team how Argyll has supported and empowered them.
Suzanne, Head of Property Services
“The flexible working policy has been life-changing for me and my family. Before, it was challenging working five days a week, with two young children. I now work four days a week and have the ability to drop the children at school and be there for them in ways I couldn’t when I didn’t have this flexibility. The new policy has meant I am able to maintain a much better balance as an individual, and as a family.”
Jodi, Account Manager, Sales
“I began discussing my return to work with my manager four months before I was due to return after maternity leave. Argyll was incredibly supportive, allowing me to choose a working pattern that’s right for my family. I work three days a week, with flexibility in my working hours. This means I can give 100% when I’m in the office and still make it home before bedtime, enabling me to do both jobs well and have a healthy work-life balance.”
Karen, Assistant Manager. Operations
“After being promoted to Supervisor, I applied for the Argyll Leadership Programme which helps team members develop their business and leadership skills. Within a year of working at the company, I was promoted to Assistant Manager. I would have never thought that I could progress so quickly and it wouldn’t have been possible without the support and encouragement from the management team. They’ve helped me develop my skills and grow my confidence, and I’m so grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given.”