Veolia joins Business in the Community and a coalition of Ireland’s leading organisations to launch The Inclusive Employer blueprint

The Inclusive Employer blueprint is a practical guide to create inclusive workplaces and reduce social inequality in Ireland.

Business can play a vital role in promoting social inclusion in Ireland, which is fundamental for a healthy society and is good for business. Employment offers the single biggest opportunity for vulnerable individuals to move out of a cycle of poverty and become active participants in society. Business is uniquely placed to impact on social inclusion by improving employability.

Sinead Patton, Chief Financial and Commercial Officer of Veolia Ireland, is a member of BITC Ireland’s Leaders’ Group on Sustainability and co-chair of the Social Inclusion sub-group. The focus of the sub-group is to examine the role of business in building a more inclusive society. Reducing inequalities and achieving a fully cohesive society is a complex task and government, NGOs and business all have a role to play.

After an extensive consultation process, and drawing on over 20 years of experience with BITC Ireland, the Social Inclusion sub-group has developed the concept of the Inclusive Employer and created the Inclusive Employer blueprint.

 

The Inclusive Employer blueprint

The Inclusive Employer blueprint is a practical guide to creating inclusive workplaces and reducing social inequality in Ireland. It is designed to be a starting point for any employer interested in building an inclusive society starting with their own company. For those companies already applying a social lens to their diversity and inclusion strategy this blueprint will complement existing activities.

“Coming from Veolia, an environmental services expert, I was especially proud to co-chair the Social Inclusion leaders group. In Veolia, our people and their expertise are our product. Our organisation is stronger and performs better for our customers when we have a diverse pool of talent working well together. The Leaders’ Group recognises that businesses can make a unique impact on employability for marginalised groups who find themselves outside of the education, training and employment cycle. That is why the group focused on the concept of the inclusive employer. I call on all businesses to download the Inclusive Employer Blueprint and take their next steps towards better inclusivity and diversity.”

Sinead Patton
Chief Financial and Commercial Officer