All Great People

GOAL 7

INCREASING DIVERSITY THROUGH OUR VETERAN COMMUNITY

Our Progress

According to the latest government statistics, there are over two million Armed Forces veterans in the UK and around 13,000 individuals who leave the Armed Forces every year. The statistics show that the majority of those leaving the services are of working age, actively seeking new employment opportunities. Despite this, research shows that some veterans find it difficult to transition into civilian life and often struggle to find and retain new employment. Recruiting Armed Forces veterans has been an area we have worked hard on over the last five years and is demonstrated by us achieving our Gold Armed Forces Covenant Award in 2023. However, we also recognise that this underrepresented group sometimes needs additional support in the workplace.

A survey conducted by NHS England found that over half of veterans, active military personnel, and associated representatives reported having a current or previous mental health condition (52%) or physical health condition (54%). Moreover, almost two-thirds of respondents (60%) said that they found it difficult to ask for help with mental health issues, making it challenging for employers like us to identify issues and provide support. In order to support those leaving the Armed Forces who may not be ready to enter a working environment, we have donated £250,000 over the last five years to the Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI). We also give practical support whereby our internal Recruitment team provides interview training as part of a course run by the RBLI’s employment support partner, ‘LifeWorks’.

„ Introduced our 10-year Mental Wellbeing strategy, Healthier

„ Introduced a Reserve Forces Policy which provides reservists with an

Together, which seeks to implement an environment that understands, supports, and takes action for the needs of every single member of the FM Conway family

additional period of 10 days paid leave in each holiday leave year

„ Maintained our network of Mental Health First Aiders across the organisation and provided access to training to assist managers in improving their capability to address colleague mental health and wellbeing issues, and make necessary adjustments. We currently have over 100 Mental Health First Aiders in our business Supported the RBLI’s training partner, ‘LifeWorks’, in their pre-employment course offering interview skills training and feedback „

„ Achieved our Silver Armed Forces

Covenant Award in 2019 and then went on to achieve Gold in 2023

„ Attended many events where our veterans present, including Reserves Day in Kent „ Introduced multiple support services, includingWeCare, access to the Lighthouse Club Construction Industry Charity Helpline, and the Mates In Mind mental health programme

Future Plans

To strengthen the talent pipeline of Armed Forces veterans at all levels, including representation at senior levels. To also improve the support we give our veterans by truly understanding what adjustments are needed to make everyday life as easy as possible. Our Objective

„ Through a communications campaign, create an environment in which our veteran colleagues are engaged and feel comfortable declaring their status. „ Increase awareness of the potential issues which veterans may be navigating and ensure colleagues seek to take an empathetic approach towards this

„ Ensure veterans are assigned a ‘buddy’ or mentor to help them transition into civilian life whilst simultaneously providing themwith workplace support and guidance

„ Build a formal, strong internal support network

„ Strengthen our support for those suffering fromPTSD

FM Conway - Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Strategy | 29