Multinational facilities management and construction services organisation Carillion launched its Working Mums Network as an affinity group in November 2012, to create a vocal community for working mothers in the business’s UK branch as part of a wider diversity and inclusion strategy.
With approximately 300 members, the Working Mums Network was the first of its kind in Carillion, connecting working mothers within the business through an internal social media network, email distribution list, face-to-face meetings and regional networking events. The group also arranged speaker events, with senior management from within the business delivering talks on their experiences as working parents.
In 2013, the Working Mums Network hosted a competition to reward line managers who support working mums on a day-to-day basis, with employees nominating managers who had helped accommodate their caring commitments at work.
The group also plays a pivotal role in leadership decisions that may affect working mothers, for example, the network was asked to present a proposal for an enhanced maternity leave policy and also compiled a response to the government’s consultation on childcare legislation.
Katarina Fidler, head of innovation, building at Carillion and founder of the Working Mums Network, said: “The network has been instrumental in developing proposals and supporting the senior management team with policy changes, which is basically capturing the voice of the employee and feeding it into the management decisions, which is really powerful.”
Carillion won the Workingmums.co.uk 2016 Top employer award for family support (pictured).
