The moves are being rolled out to challenge what it sees as deeply rooted inequities in construction.
A new 10-year social equity transformation business strategy aims to lead by example, tackling lack of female leadership, structural racism, excessive hours, and supply chain abuse.
Multiplex also plans to roll out flexible working to all sites next year, and implement a maximum 14-hour day door-to-door policy.
Within the supply chain, Multiplex is committing to 35-day payment and aims to channel a third of spend to SMEs.
Callum Tuckett, Multiplex’s UK managing director, said: “As one of the largest industries in the world, construction has considerable scope to lead the way and implement the changes necessary to contribute towards reducing inequality and building more inclusive societies.”
“We believe there is an urgent need to recalibrate, to ensure a coordinated and well-planned response, with social equity integrated into our decarbonisation roadmap and at the very heart of our approach to ESG.“
“Our strategy lays out very clearly the actions we are going to take as a business but also, and more importantly, how we will be trying to influence our supply chain, our clients and wider industry stakeholders to maximise our collective impacts and ensure that no one is left behind.”
Its four strategic pillars to address significant social challenges include: health, safety and wellbeing; diversity, inclusion, and respect; socio-economic value, and respecting communities.
‘Leave no one behind’ strategy to tackle inequality and injustice
By 2022
- Implementing flexible working across 100% of project sites
- Introducing a maximum 14-hour day door-to-door policy
- 50% of all graduate intakes will be female
- Achieving an average of 35 days to pay suppliers
- 100% of projects to carry out initial community engagement within 6 weeks of contract award
By 2025
- Five-day working week on sites
- Zero exposure to diesel emissions from plant on 100% of projects
- At least 10% of projects to be led by a female team member
- 33% spend with SMEs
- Reducing the socio-economic talent gap by providing 50 work placements to disadvantaged groups to address income inequality
- Invest in green skills and training, by providing 5 green job opportunities
- 10% reduction in labour churn in their first tier
- 100% of all first-tier supply chain paying the Real Living Wage
By 2030
- Measuring and tracking musculoskeletal health impact on 100% of the workforce
- 30% of our executive leadership team to be female or from an ethnically diverse background
- 100% of key materials to be screened for human rights risks
- Providing 45 new roles per £100m turnover (approx. 439 new entrants and apprentices/year)
- 40% increase in directly employed labour per £1m spent
