Collective – Okappy https://www.okappy.com Rethinking workforce management Wed, 07 Apr 2021 14:37:04 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.8 97353426 How Can You Use Okappy to Improve Cash Flow? https://www.okappy.com/improve-cash-flow/ Tue, 30 Mar 2021 15:46:36 +0000 https://www.okappy.com/?p=19635 Okappy is an online communications and workforce management platform which helps you manage your work, whether done by employees or subcontractors. Not only does it provide transparency and control, it can also be used to improve the cash flow of your business. Here's 5 reasons how: 1. Improved invoice turnaround With traditional [...]

The post How Can You Use Okappy to Improve Cash Flow? appeared first on Okappy.

]]>

Okappy is an online communications and workforce management platform which helps you manage your work, whether done by employees or subcontractors. Not only does it provide transparency and control, it can also be used to improve the cash flow of your business. Here’s 5 reasons how:

1. Improved invoice turnaround

With traditional paperwork systems, companies are often left waiting for certain details from a particular individual, such as a signature on a job sheet before the invoice can be processed and sent. Often this paperwork can go missing along the chain – meaning that the process has to start all over again! With Okappy, invoices can be sent straight away from the job desktop dashboard upon confirmation of the completion of a job. This helps you get your invoice paid faster, ensuring no payments are forgotten.

“The turnaround time from accepting a job to invoicing it is now a lot quicker. Before Okappy, raising an invoice could take weeks. Now we invoice minutes after the job has been completed. Since the job details complete with signature are instantly available, any invoice queries can be instantly answered by anyone with system access, levels of access can be set as required.” – Clare, Accounts at RPS.

2. Only do work for those companies that have paid their bills

With late payments endemic and the risk of company bankruptcies looming large. You don’t want to do work for companies that might never pay. With Okappy you’re alerted if you add a job for a customer with unpaid invoices.

  • Adding a Job

As you add a New Job for a customer you can quickly see the outstanding balance for that customer. This means you will be more aware of when payments are behind, so you can decide whether you want to do the job before the customer has settled the balance.

  • Reports

You can run a report for outstanding invoices for particular customers over a period of time. This way you can make better decisions about whether you want to continue to add jobs for customers with outstanding payments; allowing you to plan ahead and budget accordingly.

3. Integrations with other systems

Okappy works with a number of other system including popular accounting software.

You can easily export your invoices into your accounting software saving you from duplicating your data from one system to another; thus saving you time. You can run various reports from your accounting software for example a cash flow statement, P&L report and aged debtors report etc. This allows you to get a comprehensive view of the financial position of the company. Looking at the data can help you analyse your expenditure and make better budgeting decisions for the months ahead. With some accounting software, such as Xero, you can even view financial information on-the-go on your smartphone.

4. Increased transparency

One of the main benefits of using Okappy to improve cash flow is that all the data for jobs, invoices and payments are logged into one secure system. This can be accessed anywhere and anytime to yourself and your customers. This reduces job sheets getting misplaced or lost, and also means no more missed invoices! With everything being logged onto the system there is more accountability surrounding payments and cash.

5. Improved efficiency around job scheduling

The job scheduler allows you to allocate reactive work to your engineers more efficiently. The location tracking software means you can see what engineers are closest to a job in order to allocate in the most cost-effective way – saving you more money on travel expenses.

For more tips on how Okappy can be used to improve cash flow check out our blog posts:

Leave your email below to stay up to date with our latest tips, tricks and trends on all things business?

 
 
 
 

The post How Can You Use Okappy to Improve Cash Flow? appeared first on Okappy.

]]>
19635
2018 Highlights From Okappy https://www.okappy.com/2018-highlights-from-okappy/ Wed, 19 Dec 2018 16:43:58 +0000 https://www.okappy.com/?p=23635 This was a big year for Okappy and we couldn’t be more proud of the product we’ve been working hard on over the last 3 ½ years! Reflecting upon our journey, we thought we’d share a review of how far we’ve come this year. Improved Performance On the technology side, 2018 has seen [...]

The post 2018 Highlights From Okappy appeared first on Okappy.

]]>

This was a big year for Okappy and we couldn’t be more proud of the product we’ve been working hard on over the last 3 ½ years! Reflecting upon our journey, we thought we’d share a review of how far we’ve come this year.

Improved Performance

On the technology side, 2018 has seen improvements to the reliability and performance of the system as usage has grown dramatically. Part of improving performance is understanding where the bottlenecks are.

Over the year we’ve implemented better monitoring so we can improve our understanding of the performance and reliability of the platform. This has allowed us to dramatically speed up certain aspects of the system and better handle large spikes in traffic. We’ve also implemented automated testing across the platform with over 1,000 tests now running each night!

New Developments

Highlights of the features and improvements we’ve rolled out this year include:

  • The ability to link jobs
  • A more in-depth auditing to the system
  • Improvements to reporting functionality
  • Enhancements to search throughout the platform
  • Improvements to the calendar and scheduling
  • Improvements to the performance of the iOS app when in poor network conditions
  • Enhancements to Android app for more consistency with the iOS app

Over the next quarter we’re planning to work on the following:

  • Optimising our onboarding through the website and apps
  • Allowing customers to add/edit their own templates
  • Enhancing invoicing, calendar and scheduler
  • Improving location functionality within our apps
  • Improving performance across the platform
  • Automating and promoting referrals

Thought Leaders

This year we’ve been invited to give over 8 seminars to industry leaders on how companies can adapt to the changing world of work. This included speaking at UK Construction Week and being shortlisted to speak at the Mayor of London’s TechInvest event for smart city technologies. We were also selected to be on the innovation trail at UK Construction Week. This year we’ve more than doubled our social media following and continue to generate interest across the Trades media.

Out and About

This year we attended 4 trade shows including the Facilities Management show at Excel, Construction Week at the NEC, Drain Trader show in Glasgow and HVAC show at Excel. These shows were a great opportunity to meet with industry leading companies and raise awareness of how Okappy is helping businesses to better collaborate.

In the Press

We’ve received a lot of coverage in the Trades press over the past year and have also taken part in a number of marketing collaborations with other businesses. We’d like to thank FM World, FMJ, Drain Trader, ThisWeekinFM, iOffice, Elevation Magazine and UK Construction Week for their support and promotion of our core work.

Seeing Our Customers Thrive

It has been very heartwarming to see our efforts reap benefits for customers. We have received a number of reviews from customers who have really benefited from the system. Here is a selection of our favourites…

“This app is superb, it’s changed the way my business operates. I run a building and maintenance firm. It has saved us a lot of time and money in the past 9 months. I can’t rate it highly enough. The support is also very good.” – Leo, Director LA Rosser Ltd.

“Okappy has reduced the amount of paperwork by about 90% and, on an even better note, it has reduced my workload by about 80% as a Service Manager who manages multiple engineers… The Okappy system has improved the service we provide whilst helping to make us super efficient and provide the best service for our customers.” – Lee, Services Manager at BEC Security Perimeter.

“With Okappy, we now collaborate in a whole new way! We get the job done far more efficiently than we’ve ever been able to, which has had a real positive impact.” – Anthony, Director of Convert Water Ltd.

“We can always see what is going on with each job at a glance. We get job information back straight away but I always have the option to change it if I need to.” – Mark, Managing Director, Maclin Pumps.

“Okappy helps us build better relationships in the industry. It’s not just job management, but a network to connect with our employees, customers and subcontractors!” – Kris, Director of MW Lifts Services Ltd.

The A-Team

And, of course, none of this would be possible without the hard work of team Okappy behind the scenes! This year the team has really grown. Earlier in the year we welcomed Joe who has been leading on the Sales front and  Zeeshan whose wealth of expertise on frontend development has helped us accelerate building a software we are truly proud of. We’ve also had a number of interns and short term employees including Noah who helped us work on our API and Ren who worked across testing.

Not only do we feel we have the right balance of creativity, technical know-how and fine-tuned business acumen, but a group of people who share the common goal of creating a product that really helps improve people’s working lives. We believe we have an opportunity to help millions of companies around the world collaborate and communicate in a better way. So on that note, we wish you all a happy new year and look forward to what 2019 has in store!

To end, here is a selection of some of our personal highlights and lowlights from the year…

Robin, iOS Guru 

“My low points involved

unnecessary anger

upsetting people

My highest point was

getting a sneaky haiku

onto the app store”

Joe, Chatty Sales Guy 

“My lowest point was when I gave myself whiplash whilst I flung my bag over my shoulder running for the train in my excitement to get to work. But the high point was that I found a good Osteopath…”

Naomi, Artsy Fartsy Person 

“My highlight involved working closely with Joe to work out the perfect coffee blend for our coffee breaks. My lowest moment was one day when the office manager announced there was no more coffee… we really lost the plot that day (a bit like this).”

Zeeshan, Frontend Dude 

“My highlight was speaking at a Raspberry Pi Conference about importance of AI and presenting a Raspberry based solution for loading bays at busy industrial units. My lowlight was sticking my car’s wing mirrors with scotch tape after motorcyclists broke both of them and I did not have time to go get replacements. Mind you, this could easily be a highlight as three months on, the scotch tape is holding strong.”

Richard, Everyone’s Boss 

“My low point was getting Robin angry when I noticed he posted a haiku onto the app store. My high point was seeing the look on Naomi and Gerry’s faces when they realised that Joe spent more time doing his hair in the morning than they did.”

Be the first to hear

Leave your email below to stay up to date with our latest tips, tricks and trends on all things business!

 
 
 
 

The post 2018 Highlights From Okappy appeared first on Okappy.

]]>
23635
4 Reasons Why You Need to Focus on Connecting Employees – Featured in Drain Trader https://www.okappy.com/4-reasons-why-you-need-to-focus-on-connecting-employees-featured-in-drain-trader/ Wed, 29 Aug 2018 12:31:07 +0000 https://www.okappy.com/?p=22110 We wrote an article that was published in Drain Trader exploring the reasons why you should focus on connecting employees!  Leave your email below to stay up to date with our latest tips, tricks and trends on all things business?

The post 4 Reasons Why You Need to Focus on Connecting Employees – Featured in Drain Trader appeared first on Okappy.

]]>

We wrote an article that was published in Drain Trader exploring the reasons why you should focus on connecting employees! 

Leave your email below to stay up to date with our latest tips, tricks and trends on all things business?

 
 
 
 

The post 4 Reasons Why You Need to Focus on Connecting Employees – Featured in Drain Trader appeared first on Okappy.

]]>
22110
What’s The Future Of Job Management In A Connected Age? – Featured in ThisWeekinFM https://www.okappy.com/what-is-the-future-of-job-management-in-a-connected-age-feature-in-thisweekinfm/ Wed, 29 Aug 2018 12:24:05 +0000 https://www.okappy.com/?p=22106 Richard wrote an article, featured in ThisWeekinFM, where he shares insights about the evolution of job management in a connected age. The evolution of job management in the facilities management sector - from piles of paper to market networks. The World Economic Forum says we’re on the cusp of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (or Industry [...]

The post What’s The Future Of Job Management In A Connected Age? – Featured in ThisWeekinFM appeared first on Okappy.

]]>

Richard wrote an article, featured in ThisWeekinFM, where he shares insights about the evolution of job management in a connected age.

The evolution of job management in the facilities management sector – from piles of paper to market networks.

The World Economic Forum says we’re on the cusp of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (or Industry 4.0). Self-driving cars and Artificial Intelligence are no longer just sci-fi fantasies. As our world and the workforce continue to rapidly evolve, it’s clear that we all need to be using efficient job management systems if we’re going to keep up with any of these changes.

Job management can often be a headache. Traditionally it involved endless amounts of paperwork and spending hours on the phone chasing up clients and engineers. In an increasingly digitised world, and with many Facilities Management companies now integrating IoT systems into the workplace, there is no need to continue managing jobs with these old and inefficient processes.

I believe there are some compelling reasons why the facilities industries should explore new and emerging digital possibilities for job management.

Read the full article here.

Check out our article: 10 Communication Tips For Facilities Managers

Leave your email below to stay up to date with our latest tips, tricks and trends on all things business?

 
 
 
 

The post What’s The Future Of Job Management In A Connected Age? – Featured in ThisWeekinFM appeared first on Okappy.

]]>
22106
Managing Your Workforce When The Summer Season Hits – Featured in Insights For Professionals https://www.okappy.com/managing-your-workforce-when-the-summer-season-hits-featured-in-insights-for-professionals/ Wed, 08 Aug 2018 16:07:37 +0000 https://www.okappy.com/?p=21907 We wrote an article, featured in Insights For Professionals, where we talk about how you can best manage your workforce when the summer season hits.  Summer has officially begun, and just as quickly as temperatures are rising, workers are taking their annual leave. How do you effectively manage your workforce and ensure jobs get done [...]

The post Managing Your Workforce When The Summer Season Hits – Featured in Insights For Professionals appeared first on Okappy.

]]>

We wrote an article, featured in Insights For Professionals, where we talk about how you can best manage your workforce when the summer season hits. 

Summer has officially begun, and just as quickly as temperatures are rising, workers are taking their annual leave. How do you effectively manage your workforce and ensure jobs get done without stressing out your employees?

It is the most popular season for employees to go on holidays, which also means productivity in your company can suffer. As staff become scarce, summer can come to be a time of increased stress where responsibility for ensuring clients receive quality service doubles.

The article talks about what happens when you have less staff and what’s the solution?

Read the full article here.
Check out our article: 10 Communication Tips For Facilities Managers

Leave your email below to stay up to date with our latest tips, tricks and trends on all things business?

 
 
 
 

The post Managing Your Workforce When The Summer Season Hits – Featured in Insights For Professionals appeared first on Okappy.

]]>
21907
9 Habits of a Customer Centric Organisation – Featured in iOffice https://www.okappy.com/9-habits-of-a-customer-centric-organisation-featured-in-ioffice/ Tue, 24 Jul 2018 15:49:59 +0000 https://www.okappy.com/?p=21904 We wrote an article, featured in iOffice, where we talk about what it means to be a customer centric organisation. Adopting a customer-centric mindset is, therefore, one of the most beneficial efforts you can invest in. Adopting a steady customer-centric mindset can secure substantial business gain. It contributes to building trust, credibility and a solid reputation and [...]

The post 9 Habits of a Customer Centric Organisation – Featured in iOffice appeared first on Okappy.

]]>

We wrote an article, featured in iOffice, where we talk about what it means to be a customer centric organisation. Adopting a customer-centric mindset is, therefore, one of the most beneficial efforts you can invest in.

Adopting a steady customer-centric mindset can secure substantial business gain. It contributes to building trust, credibility and a solid reputation and will reduce customer dissatisfaction. Fostering customer engagement can lead to a higher chance of customers becoming brand loyal. The more that customers trust your business, the more likely they are to refer it.

When clients talk about your company positively, your brand can rise to a top-of-mind position, and automatically have an invaluable edge over the competition. Adopting a customer-centric mindset is, therefore, one of the most beneficial efforts you can invest in.

The 9 Habits include:

  1. Continuously Listening to Customers
  2. Acting Proactively to Anticipate Needs
  3. Building Customer Empathy Into Processes and Policies
  4. Respecting Customer Privacy
  5. Sharing Knowledge Internally and With Customers
  6. Motivating Employees to Stay Engaged
  7. Acting Systemically to Improve the Customer Experience
  8. Creating Accountability for Customer Experience Improvement
  9. Adapting to Customer Demands and Circumstances

Read the full article here.
Check out our article: 10 Communication Tips For Facilities Managers

Leave your email below to stay up to date with our latest tips, tricks and trends on all things business?

 
 
 
 

The post 9 Habits of a Customer Centric Organisation – Featured in iOffice appeared first on Okappy.

]]>
21904
Networked Job Management: What it Means For the Workplace – Featured in Insights For Professionals https://www.okappy.com/networked-job-management-what-it-means-for-the-workplace-featured-in-insights-for-professionals/ Tue, 24 Jul 2018 15:21:30 +0000 https://www.okappy.com/?p=21901 We wrote an article, featured in Insights For Professionals, where we shared our insight on networked job management.  What does this mean for the future workplace and how could it impact business? Many employees and employers in the workplace are nervous of embracing technology. We now live in a society where two-thirds of small businesses would struggle to survive without [...]

The post Networked Job Management: What it Means For the Workplace – Featured in Insights For Professionals appeared first on Okappy.

]]>

We wrote an article, featured in Insights For Professionals, where we shared our insight on networked job management.  What does this mean for the future workplace and how could it impact business?

Many employees and employers in the workplace are nervous of embracing technology. We now live in a society where two-thirds of small businesses would struggle to survive without wireless technology. Overall, business culture is changing as forward thinking businesses are adopting collaborative strategies.

Networked job management is now essential in our digital age and adopting new ways of working should be a focus.

The article covers the following:

  • Improving digital strategies
  • Exploring market networks
  • Reducing admin and increasing results
  • Moving forward with digital technology

 

Read the full article here.
Check out our article: 10 Communication Tips For Facilities Managers

Leave your email below to stay up to date with our latest tips, tricks and trends on all things business?

 
 
 
 

The post Networked Job Management: What it Means For the Workplace – Featured in Insights For Professionals appeared first on Okappy.

]]>
21901
How to Conquer Digitisation – Featured in Insights For Professionals https://www.okappy.com/how-to-conquer-digitisation-featured-in-insights-for-professionals/ Sun, 08 Jul 2018 15:02:57 +0000 https://www.okappy.com/?p=21898 We wrote an article, featured in Insights For Professionals, where we shared our insight on how to deal with technology and an ageing workforce. With technology becoming so advanced, how do you ensure the ageing workforce can keep up? Here we explore the way the workplace is changing and what businesses can do to embrace it. [...]

The post How to Conquer Digitisation – Featured in Insights For Professionals appeared first on Okappy.

]]>

We wrote an article, featured in Insights For Professionals, where we shared our insight on how to deal with technology and an ageing workforce. With technology becoming so advanced, how do you ensure the ageing workforce can keep up? Here we explore the way the workplace is changing and what businesses can do to embrace it.

For the older generations, digitisation once existed as a sci-fi vision of the future; a Blade Runner-esque world many years away and not considered something to be experienced in their lifetime. However, with recent tech developments, we are swiftly moving into an era where digitisation is not only part of our daily lives but is expected and accepted as part of the status quo. But how did we get here and, crucially, how do we progress in a world where digitisation is part of consumer behaviour?

Read the full article here.
Check out our article: 10 Communication Tips For Facilities Managers

Leave your email below to stay up to date with our latest tips, tricks and trends on all things business?

 
 
 
 

The post How to Conquer Digitisation – Featured in Insights For Professionals appeared first on Okappy.

]]>
21898
Employee Mental Wellbeing in the Facilities Management Industry https://www.okappy.com/employee-mental-wellbeing-in-facilities-management/ Mon, 02 Jul 2018 16:46:17 +0000 https://www.okappy.com/?p=21683 The mental health conversation has come to the forefront, and it's about time! We discuss how the Facilities Management Industry can tackle issues of mental health in the workplace.  Every year, approximately one in four people in the United Kingdom will experience a mental health problem. Roughly, 13,000,000 adults will suffer - [...]

The post Employee Mental Wellbeing in the Facilities Management Industry appeared first on Okappy.

]]>

The mental health conversation has come to the forefront, and it’s about time! We discuss how the Facilities Management Industry can tackle issues of mental health in the workplace. 

Every year, approximately one in four people in the United Kingdom will experience a mental health problem. Roughly, 13,000,000 adults will suffer – often in silence –  afraid of the stigma that is attached to this complex issue. While still a taboo inducing topic, it is becoming more openly discussed, and recent research has revealed the depths of how poor mental health is affecting the facilities management industry today.

According to figures, 64 per cent of construction workers have claimed they want better physical and mental wellbeing support from their employers and nearly 400,000 worker-days are lost every year due to poor mental health. Research has also uncovered that male site workers in construction are three times more likely to die by suicide than the average UK man.

There is an evident lack of support for workers in the facilities management industry which is affecting not only their wellbeing but also productivity and effectiveness. Most businesses spend a sizeable amount of budget, time and effort guaranteeing the satisfaction of customers, so why wouldn’t they afford the same consideration to employees?

Guaranteeing employees are satisfied assures a longer tenure and fewer resources invested in recruiting. With the increase of mental health officers being appointed in the construction industry, it is essential to understand that employee wellness goes beyond typical health benefits. Companies must go all-in and foster a work environment committed to long-term employee wellbeing, making it easier to attract better workers, increase employee retention and nurture company loyalty.

However, despite mental health becoming an increasingly discussed topic, it is still one that proves challenging to tackle. 31 per cent of building engineering firms find on-site mental health issues “hard to manage” while CIPD research data indicates that the number of people saying they have experienced mental health issues while in employment has increased from a quarter to a third from 2011 to 2016.

The industry would greatly benefit from more transparency and an open channel of communication. A common source of angst for workers today is feeling like they cannot achieve a satisfactory work-life balance.

Mobility has the incredible potential to encourage a more direct level of communication and a more flexible workspace. When workers are not restricted to a physical space, and technology is used to streamline what used to be a long, chaotic process, it becomes a lot easier to achieve the work-life balance that many desire.

Job management apps can support workers’ wellbeing by improving efficiency and reducing stress. With apps that are location tracked it is possible for employers to monitor team members and identify any unusual behaviour, helping keep everyone safe. In addition, it is possible to follow when workers are being more efficient and based on that information, create a more time-effective scheme.

It is also critical, however, that employers support clear “off” times where employees can unplug and recentre, which can be achieved by encouraging small pauses during work hours. These could be in the form of lunch breaks, “brain breaks” but also equally important, taking time off work – and remaining genuinely disconnected. Incorporating relaxation into the daily routine as opposed to promoting it as a reward is key.

While mobility supports a flexible workspace, employees can feel more inclined to keep working at all times and in all places. The capacity of working from a mobile device creates an environment where workers are expected to respond to emails and resolve issues during non-work hours, leading to unhealthy expectations and a veiled obligation of always being available.

Other actions that can be taken to guarantee a happier, more motivated workforce include providing workplace therapy, creating “safe spaces” and making sure HR is working for the best interest of the workers. Emma Dallimore, facilities manager at Hull and East Yorkshire Min, has invested in a quiet area room which staff can use for up to half an hour to sit and think, catch up on emails or make a call.

Modern technology – when used with discernment – can allow workers to do less without affecting the quality of the outcome. Communication tools, such as real-time job management applications, automate processes so employers can spend more time and energy focused on the more human-related aspects of the job. As a result, workers will experience better mental clarity, and fewer instances of stress, anxiety and depression.

Leave your email below to stay up to date with our latest tips, tricks and trends on all things business?

 
 
 
 

The post Employee Mental Wellbeing in the Facilities Management Industry appeared first on Okappy.

]]>
21683
Combatting the Gender Pay Gap in Construction https://www.okappy.com/combatting-gender-pay-gap-construction/ Wed, 27 Jun 2018 15:01:25 +0000 https://www.okappy.com/?p=21647 In early April 2018 UK based companies with 250 employees or more were required to submit their Gender Pay gap reports. This new governmental regulation aims to reduce inequality in the workplace and improve overall attitudes to transparency surrounding salaries and pay. In early April 2018 UK based companies with 250 employees [...]

The post Combatting the Gender Pay Gap in Construction appeared first on Okappy.

]]>

In early April 2018 UK based companies with 250 employees or more were required to submit their Gender Pay gap reports. This new governmental regulation aims to reduce inequality in the workplace and improve overall attitudes to transparency surrounding salaries and pay.

In early April 2018 UK based companies with 250 employees or more were required to submit their Gender Pay gap reports. Over 10,000 businesses have now submitted their information, many of which were submitted in the last week before the deadline. The reports reveal how many companies have a gender pay gap and to what degree. This new governmental regulation aims to reduce inequality in the workplace and improve overall attitudes to transparency surrounding salaries and pay.
One of the most reported figures was the ‘median pay gap’ in companies. The median pay gap compares salaries of the middle earning woman and man. This represents arguably one of the fairest ways to look at pay gaps, because it is not an average – simply a comparison. However, all the data has flaws and some companies have debated whether hourly pay would be a fairer way to examine salaries.

Gender Pay Gap Revealed

From all the data submitted, the two sectors with the highest pay gap are construction and finance. With just 44 of 743 firms in these two sectors reported to have paid women more than they paid men. What this shows us is that there are substantially more men clustered at the top rungs of these companies receiving higher pay. Women seem to occupy a large amount of the lower percentiles of earning in construction companies, whilst men take the higher earning positions. It is this trend that we need to question and change.
Construction is one of the worst ranking sectors, with women paid on average 38% less than men. It is important to note here that this is not women being paid less than men for the same work. The equal pay act was passed in 1970, but this data shows that there is still a clear divide. The country-wide average figure for the gap is 19%, meaning that construction is nearly double the UK-wide average.
So how will reporting these, frankly dire, figures make steps to improve the situation? The aim of the initiative is to encourage change by shedding light on these statistics. For many companies this may make executives and employers take a step back and look at how balanced their workplace is, particularly in roles with higher salaries. They may want to examine their workplace culture and how they could encourage women to work towards roles higher up in their companies.

A Catalyst For Change

The pay gap is not simply about employing more women in the workplace. The pay gap reporting should be the catalyst for change in businesses across the UK. Changing attitudes is one step towards solving the issues surrounding gender equality. Gender role expectations have come a long way since the Nuclear Family of the 1950’s. But, we must also examine our expectations and understandings of gender in the workplace. Women’s role in society has changed drastically over the last few decades and workplaces must change to reflect this.
Looking back on the history of the construction industry, it has long been a field dominated by men. However, we are in a time of change and bringing more women into the construction sector leads to new ideas and new approaches in a time when the sector desperately needs to embrace a new way of thinking.

How Can the Construction Industry Be More Inclusive?

Solutions:

  • Expectations are arguably what needs to change the most in the environment of construction. We have lived for decades in a society that expected employees to be at their workplace from 9-5 daily (or longer) and this is only something that is recently starting to change with a more decentralised and diverse workforce.
  • Flexible working is a great way to work with more female employees who do undertake childcare or other caretaking duties. This also allows fathers to split childcare with their partners; so it benefits everyone involved in a company with children. Working remotely is a great solution to employees who cannot be at their desk or on site all the hours that the job demands but, can easily work from home or elsewhere.
  • Embracing new technology can not only help you to better accommodate staff and improve diversity, but also to improve collaborative work practises and increase efficiency.

Moving forward

Combatting the gender pay gap in the construction industry will involve many small steps to eventually achieve a bigger change. Altering workplace expectations is one of the major ways to make a positive change in your work environment. But much beyond this, it is about a broader understanding and questioning of the issues surrounding the gender pay gap. Why haven’t women been included and embraced to work in the construction sector? And what are the ways that this field should change to accommodate them?
Technology can offer some great solutions and this is another way to move your business forward against competitors, whilst embracing new ways of working. Create a workplace with a forward thinking approach and your employees will also adopt this – becoming forerunners of their field.  

 

Leave your email below to stay up to date with our latest tips, tricks and trends on all things business?

 
 
 
 

The post Combatting the Gender Pay Gap in Construction appeared first on Okappy.

]]>
21647