Inclusion & Diversity

A message from our HR Director, Nicola O’Malley

"I believe a truly Inclusive Workplace is one where the quietest voice is clearly heard and respected. Through education, employee engagement and empowerment we foster a culture of inclusion and belonging in Irish Cement"

International Women’s Day 2024

In 2024 we invited Dr Mary Ryan leading female health and hormone specialist to give a talk on the importance of women’s health, welfare, and the menopause journey.

Inclusion week 2024

- Our theme for 2024 was Respect in Action – Standing Together.
- We invited Caitlin Cruise from ‘As I Am’ – Irelands Autism Charity to talk about invisible disabilities, highlighting the need for betterunderstanding, increasing awareness among our colleagues, and actively addressing stigma, judgement, and fear.

PRIDE 2024

We invited the Irish Centre for Diversity to provide inclusive leadership and inclusive language workshops to all our employees highlighting that as an organisation we want to welcome everyone in and exclude no-one.

International Men’s Day 2024

“At Irish Cement we continued to focus on the area of men’s health and wellbeing as part of our recognition of IMD. This year along with our comprehensive Company health checks, we provided all male employees with an ‘Action Man’ booklet ten top tips for men’s health’ (i) WHY an action is needed; (ii) WHAT can be done about it; and (iii) HOW to find support if you need it. The booklet is supported by Healthy Ireland and MHFI.

Facilities in Focus

Care for our people’s safety and well-being includes the physical environment that they work in every day.

Access to clean, well-equipped, and well-maintained facilities that meet the needs of our changing workforce enhances our people’s experience.

It also helps to build a more inclusive workplace, where everyone has access to what they need and where they feel respected, supported, and valued.

Employee Resource Group

ERGs are important for our efforts to make sure everyone feels a sense of belonging. They also help us identify barriers that might be preventing colleagues from reaching their full potential.

The Irish Cement I&D ERG is open to all employees on a voluntary basis, we meet 3 to 4 times a year. At these meetings we endeavour to generate future Company initiatives, raise awareness, and help to further Irish Cement’s I&D journey based on the collective voice of all our employees.

The ERG will be a safe space for discussion and to provide a source of support for individual employees who may be facing I&D challenges at work.

Why Inclusion comes first at Irish Cement

Inclusion begins with “I” – we encourage all our employees to aspire to be a role model for inclusive behaviours.

We put Inclusion first, as it allows us to attract diverse talent and allows diverse voices to be heard. In practical terms, it is about creating an environment where everyone in the organisation can be at their best.

It involves all of us working together to make a difference by creating an environment that values the different contributions a diverse workforce can bring.

An inclusive culture helps employees fulfil their personal objectives and maximise their potential irrespective of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

Your voice and employee feedback surveys

For Irish Cement to take its growth and performance to the next level, we must ensure we continue to build a healthy and inclusive business.

Of the many tools and resources, we use to help us achieve this, we carry out regular surveys which provide our employees with an opportunity to share their views on how we can make our business a healthier, more inclusive, and high-performing one.

Family Friendly Policies

We are meeting our statutory obligations but also offer enhanced benefits such as:

- Increased Paternity Leave
- Increased Benefits under Maternity Leave
- Paid leave for Fertility Treatments
- Menopause Policy and Supports