The Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter organises regular Explore Days, which are exclusive events for Charter Supporters and Members. These Explore Days provide an excellent opportunity to learn from various organisations about their best practices related to specific aspects of the Charter. Tilbury Douglas hosted a session on the 25th of September 2023 which was all about ‘Engagement and Voice’ and ‘Health and Wellbeing’. It was a valuable day filled with insights into their exemplary employment practices and ongoing projects.
Tilbury Douglas is a UK-based building, infrastructure and engineering organisation with 138 years of experience in the construction and engineering industry. They deliver projects across a range of sectors including health, highways and defence.
Employee Voice
Tilbury Douglas employees defined having a voice as:
- Asking for people’s views and opinions
- Creating a positive place to work where all voices are listened to within the team
- Using this feedback constructively
- Keeping me informed about decisions that directly affect me and letting employees have an opinion on those decisions
Encouraging employee input can lead to numerous benefits for both employees and the organisation, including increased productivity, reduced turnover, and heightened morale. It may also encourage further innovation and creativity in the workforce. Engagement and voice is not just a ‘nice-to-have’, but a vital component of creating a thriving workforce.
Tilbury Douglas actively listens to their employees by implementing a variety of initiatives such as: engagement surveys, manager briefings, retention workshops and more. They aim to create an open and trusting workforce that encourages people to share their honest feedback and ideas. Feedback gathered goes into a wider business strategy, shaping the standards of the overall organisation. In 2023, 85% of employees said they would recommend Tilbury Douglas as a place to work and 96% of employees said they would recommend their product and services.
A "you said, we did" basis is one of the practices Tilbury Douglas does to actively listen to employee’s engagement and act upon it. For example, employees said “Better communication from wider leadership team”, Tilbury Douglas responded with creating Bi -monthly WLT meetings and monthly manager’s briefings introduced. Another example highlights that employees asked for “Better promotion of our diverse and inclusive workforce” which Tilbury Douglas responded to by setting up the Better Together Initiative and further network groups to celebrate within the organisation. This shows how Tilbury Douglas practices good standards of supporting employee voice, making sure everyone feels heard.
Health and Wellbeing
Prioritising mental health in the workplace is vital. Tilbury Douglas supports this by creating and developing an understanding, healthy culture of openness around employee wellbeing. Providing effective support when colleagues need it, and having those needed conversations is important. These discussions not only address existing issues but also encourage the emergence of new topics, such as menopause, which may have been overlooked in the past. Discussing such topics leads to positive changes in the workplace and highlights the need for attention to essential matters.
Tilbury Douglas invests in their employees' health and wellbeing by providing toolkits and sessions that focus on wellbeing and motivate employees to make positive changes. The organisation recognises that physical health significantly contributes to mental wellbeing, and they encourage employees, especially those in desk jobs, to stay active and monitor their exercise routines. Whether this is to incorporate it into your daily routine, blocking out a bit of time to just move about and do some stretches.
During World Health Day, occupational health nurses came in for a ‘know your numbers’ session which had employees find out about their BMI, height, weight, glucose levels etc. From this, 50% of employees were recommended to see a GP about underlying health issues. Thanks to this, employees can work on their health and reduce the risk of these potential issues. Over 100,000 people die from occupational diseases every year so looking after your employee’s health is vital and making sure they are checking up on their own health can prevent issues to develop.
During world health day, employees also had a session of desk yoga which kept them feeling fresh and relaxed. Practising tasks like this can improve overall productivity and morale, as well as keeping on top of employee’s fitness and wellbeing.
If you are interested in hosting an Explore Day to share your organisation’s good practice, please contact contact@gmgoodemploymentcharter.co.uk
Speakers:
Emma Milward – Marketing & Social Value Manager
Darren Westcott – Project manager
Ross Woodhouse – Assistant Sire Manager
Emma Woodfield – HR Business Partner
Neil Rosiak – HSE Director
Resources: