The construction and engineering firm Dowds Group today unveiled a landmark employee benefits and rewards package, in a bold move that confronts the construction industry’s talent crisis head-on and raises the bar for employers across the UK economy.
The package, which encompasses healthcare, holiday allowance, and enhanced sick pay, will support staff at all stages of their lives and careers, from school leavers on apprenticeships to long-serving employees approaching retirement. It marks a continuation of the Group’s longstanding commitment to keeping its 230-strong team at the heart of the business.
The announcement comes at a critical juncture for both the construction industry and the broader UK economy. Unemployment across the country is at its highest level in almost 5 years (Sky), a pressure felt acutely in construction – an industry that is expected to need 239,000 extra workers by 2029 in order to meet demand (CITB).
The Group’s Employee Value Proposition is part of a two-pronged response to that challenge. It comes alongside Dowds Academy, a best-in-class training and development programme offering apprenticeships, placements, and opportunities for continuous professional development.
Developed through extensive consultation with staff and stakeholders, the new benefits package offers a comprehensive offering that reflects the realities of people’s lives as much as their careers. It has been benchmarked against leading Tier 1 and global organisations, utilising insights from professional services firms and industry-wide data. By combining comprehensive ‘soft’ benefits with a robust financial framework, the Group has created a holistic, whole-of-life package that sets a new benchmark for employers across the market.
Headline benefits include a basic rate of 41 days of annual leave, enhanced parental leave, and carers’ leave, ensuring no employee is made to choose between their career and their life outside it. Staff are also entitled to six months of enhanced sick pay, private healthcare, and access to a 24/7 support service – a step towards tackling the root causes of the industry’s mental health crisis (CIOB).
The Group’s investment in strengthening and growing its workforce forms a key pillar in the firm’s broader 5 Year Strategy. It follows a £1.6 million investment in a Group Professional Services hub in Ballymena, supporting recruitment and engineering operations.
Louise McClelland, CEO of Dowds Group, said: “For the last 25 years, employment in the construction industry has been on the decline, yet we’ve seen little meaningful change to address that. The talent pipeline is fundamentally broken. New talent isn’t being encouraged to join, and long-serving employees aren’t being given enough reason to stay.
“But we want to change that. We’re confident that our total reward package is truly best-in-class, with a combination of hard and ‘soft’ benefits that’s difficult to match. Our hope is that this package, along with the Dowds Academy training scheme, will encourage people who might not otherwise have considered a career here to enter the industry. Not just those with a background in construction, but hard-working, resilient people who are eager to learn and who want to build a career aligned with our purpose and long-term vision.
“It’s also about recognising our people. The people who show up and do good work every day are the heart of our business. By supporting them from the first rung of the career ladder to the twilight years of their career, we’re committed to ensuring our staff feel encouraged and supported to do their best work.”
