PJ Hegarty has been awarded the prestigious Investors in Diversity Gold accreditation by the Irish Centre for Diversity (ICD), a leading charity focused on diversity and inclusion (D&I) training in Ireland. The accreditation acknowledges the construction company's success in embedding the principles of fairness, respect, equality, diversity, inclusion, and engagement (FREDIE) throughout its organisational culture and operational processes.

The company embarked on a formal journey to enhance diversity and inclusion within its business in 2020, recognising the underrepresentation of diverse groups, particularly women, within the Irish construction sector and related professions.

The ICD assessment team commended PJ Hegarty for implementing a range of progressive and strategic policies, resulting in an inclusion score of 88%, which is 10% higher than the national average. The assessment highlighted the company's commitment to providing appropriate resources and demonstrating leadership in this area. Furthermore, the survey data indicated that team members feel they are treated fairly, with respect, and are valued for their individual differences.

The assessment also noted PJ Hegarty's advancements in Gender Pay Gap reporting, the development of a new three-year D&I strategy aligning with both ethical and business imperatives, the introduction of improved maternity, mental health, and wellbeing policies, and the integration of FREDIE principles into staff development, appraisals, and recruitment. Notably, the company also offers D&I training to its subcontractors and partners.

-- Advertisement --

Overall, PJ Hegarty achieved an inclusion score of 88.8% from the ICD, marking an almost 5% increase since 2022. The firm also surpassed the average score of 79.5% within the construction and engineering industry and the national average of 78% across all sectors. The inclusion score is based on data collected through a staff survey.

PJ Hegarty outperformed both the industry and national averages across all four assessment pillars: diverse and inclusive leadership; policy, practice, and process; recruitment, retention, and progress; and recording and monitoring.

The construction and civil engineering firm is now one of only 28 organisations in Ireland to hold the Investors in Diversity Gold accreditation, which is considered the premier recognition for D&I progress in the country.

The company has integrated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into the core of its operations, ensuring these principles are reflected in its strategic vision, employment policies, staff training programmes, and supply chain management.

Maurice Killeen, PJ Hegarty Operations Director and chair of the company's DEI Steering Committee, praised the team's dedication to D&I principles and their commitment to making them central to the company's long-term strategy. He stated: "Our people have always been the focal point and strength of our company, and the evolution of our business by fostering a diverse, inclusive, and supportive environment to reflect their needs and societal change more broadly has been central to our culture and long-term business strategy. We are delighted to have been awarded the Gold accreditation from the Irish Centre for Diversity (ICD), joining only 27 other businesses in Ireland who have achieved this distinction."

He also acknowledged the ICD's support throughout the accreditation process and celebrated the achievement with the DEI Steering Committee, ERGs, and all staff, seeing it as "great motivation for the future."

Caroline Cummins, Managing Director of the Irish Centre for Diversity, congratulated PJ Hegarty on its achievement: "PJ Hegarty's progress to Investors in Diversity Gold has been impressive. It has laid firm foundations and listened to the voice of all colleagues to ensure that there is a shared sense of belonging, and now they are proud holders of Investors in Diversity Gold. We look forward to sharing more of the company's journey of continuous progress."