Creating a workplace open to everyone, regardless of disability or difference

“In today’s world, it has become a priority for companies to be able to employ someone with a disability just as easily as they might employ someone who appears to have no disabilities,” explains Marion Baudet, Diversity Manager at Bouygues Construction. It shouldn’t make any difference: all that matters is what skills a person has. That’s why the entire company must be inclusive, across the board: premises, website, tools/machines, and so on. Accessibility standards must be respected and options such as voice playback, subtitles, and the zoom function must be provided throughout. Our mission is to make standards inclusive! “ The challenge for businesses today and in the future is therefore to prepare, equip and develop places and tools that enable each and every individual to move around and to express themselves in the knowledge that they will be heard. This sometimes means opting for personalised solutions. “With the health crisis situation, wearing a mask represents a real barrier for the deaf and hard of hearing,” points out Marion Baudet of Bouygues Construction. It makes lip-reading impossible and therefore prevents them from talking and working. Such a situation also deepens the sense of exclusion. To remedy this, we purchased transparent masks for these employees and their direct colleagues. ”

Helping and supporting people with disabilities and keeping them in their jobs

80% of disabilities are invisible and, over the course of their time as an employee, one in two people will be eligible for the status of disabled worker. In spite of this, as Bouygues Construction’s Diversity Manager highlights, “there is still a popular misconception that ‘as a disabled worker”, the company will no longer want me, I will no longer be able to progress / develop professionally’ as well as that ‘the bank will no longer grant me a loan’. “ Through word of mouth and the close support provided by Human Resources, we can put a stop to this kind of hearsay. Here’s proof: “Witnessing the support we give our employees, other people with disabilities who’d previously been suffering in silence have dared to come forward and ask for help,” says Isabelle Dubois Wetterwald, Diversity & Inclusion Director at Bouygues Construction. It should be kept in mind that there are many different disabilities: diabetes, dyslexia, deafness, and so on. All must be taken care of properly to allow people to continue working in good conditions. And the solutions are sometimes so simple! For example, if a labourer has impaired hearing, all he needs is a hearing aid; then, he can efficiently and safely go back to work on construction sites. “

Raising all employees’ awareness of disabilities and difference

Inclusion is not only a matter of informing all employees, without distinction, but also of acting with great kindness and providing support throughout their career. “The general state of mind in a company is very important; you have to be interested in others without judging them,” says the Director of Diversity & Inclusion. In the case of disability, this requires awareness-raising work on what disabilities really are. We might have the most pleasant and accessible offices in the world, yet if a person with a disability sees their difference in the eyes of others the moment they arrive, they won’t feel included and they won’t want to stay in the company. ” Result: loss of talent and decrease in performance. This is true not only for disability but also for diversity, sexual orientation, origins, and so on. Visible or not, disability, just like difference, should no longer be a barrier to work or to professional development. If companies are to attract people with talent and retain them, inclusion must be considered in its broadest sense, because, as Isabelle Dubois Wetterwald reminds us, “in a company, everyone matters! “

Did you know?

In the construction sector, employees working as labourers (known as journeymen) are more at risk of illnesses or accidents. They have to cope with the fatigue and arduousness of some lines of work, combined with the decrease in certain skills over time. In 2019, Bouygues Construction had 568 permanent-contract employees with disabilities, nearly half of whom were journeymen. While this figure proves that some disabilities are compatible with a manual trade, it also shows that for many, the disability was enhanced by this very trade. Therefore, to enable its employees to cope with their disability while continuing to fulfilling your career ambitions in the company, Bouygues Construction has implemented a solid strategy of support and information.