At Welsh Water we believe in doing the right thing for our customers and colleagues. We are committed to recognising and promoting equality, diversity and inclusivity and always treating others with dignity and respect.
Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Strategy supports the company’s vision and is guided by its values. It sets out our proposals to promote a culture where diversity of our customers and employees is positively valued.
Accessibility in the Recruitment Process
We are an inclusive employer. If we can support you further at any point during the recruitment process, then please let us know. We can make reasonable adjustments for any stage of your assessment.
Also, as a company committed to the improvement of equality and diversity, we offer guaranteed interviews. This is where, for a candidate who has disclosed that they identify as part of an underrepresented group, we aim to provide a guaranteed interview if the candidate meets the essential criteria of the role - as listed on our advert.
We recognise the challenge that unconscious bias can present within the recruitment process. As such, we now encourage candidates to submit their application using only their initials in the first, last and preferred name fields as well as on their CVs and do not include a date of birth. By enabling this option on the application form, we hope to improve candidate confidence in Welsh Water as an equal opportunities’ employer. This is a next step in creating a fairer recruitment process and supports our guaranteed interview commitment.
If you are invited to interview, we’ll ask you about adjustments you may need, and if you are offered a role with us we’ll will talk to you about any reasonable adjustments required to create a working environment where you’ll be supported to perform at your best.
Progress to date
We know that as an industry we are not where we can be, but we are proud of the progress we have made to date, and some of this includes:
- 2024 - Armed Forces Covenant Silver Award
- 2023 - Publishing our first Ethnicity Pay Gap report
- 2022 - Stonewall Index Silver Award
- 2021 - Disability Confident Leader
- 2020 – Partner with Energy & Utility Skills for the Inclusion Measurement
We are proud to partner with:
- Business in the community
- Armed forces
- Sunflower scheme (Hidden Disabilities)
- Disability confident
- WISE
- Miscarriage association
- Time to change Wales
- Stonewall Diversity Champion
- EESW
- Fertility Matters
- Energy and Utility Skills
Employee Network Groups
Diversity in the water industry his historically male and white and so it’s a key focus for us to make our workplace represent the communities we serve.
We are proud to be part of the Energy and Utility Skills Inclusion Measurement. You can see from the stats as a sectors that there is a need for us to attract more women, more people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, more people from the LGBT+ community, more people with disabilities and more young people.
Our networks are
Our ABLE network provides a safe space for colleagues who live with or are affected by disabilities and other long-term conditions to share lived experiences, discuss the challenges they face and work to remove barriers so colleagues can come to work and be themselves. The network group has created a series of modules to help raise awareness of challenges they may face and these are available to all colleagues. We are proud to be a disability confident leader.
Our Age at Work colleague-led network group is a supportive community for individuals over 50. The group offers a safe and inclusive space for members to share their experiences, connect with others, and access information and resources related to age diversity in the workplace.
We partner with Business in the Community and are part of the Age @ Work group sharing best practice and always looking at ways to be more inclusive.
Our Armed Forces Network is a colleague-led group that provides support and resources for individuals who are veterans, active military personnel, or have a connection to the armed forces.
Our group has a private group to network with others and raise awareness of the role of reservists.
Welsh Water are proud to have been award silver in the armed forces covenant in 2024.
This is a place for colleague who are carers. It offers a safe space for colleagues to network with each other. The group meets four times a year and raises awareness to other colleagues and arranges workshops.
This is a place for colleagues to connect, pray, share resources and ideas to support one another and be a blessing to our colleagues. Organised by Christians but all are welcome to join and come along to our occasional events.
Embrace, Welsh Water’s Race Network is an embodiment of action, change and collaboration.
It was established to create a safe place for Black, Asian or Ethnic Minority colleagues and allies to come together, discuss important issues.
The Network group is in pl ace to ensure colleagues have a space to discuss race and how it impacts us at work. The network hopes to normalise conversations around race and microaggressions within the workplace, creating a safe space for colleagues.
Our Fertility network offers a safe and inclusive space for members to share their experiences, connect with others, and access information and resources related to fertility treatments and options.
At Welsh Water we have guidance for colleagues and managers and work to raise awareness and promote understanding of fertility issues. We are proud members of Fertility Matters at work and the first Welsh Company and Water Company to sign up.
Our LGBT+ Allies Group allows a space for colleagues that are part of the community to come along, meet others sharing experiences. The group also welcomes allies.
Our Men’s Corner creates a safe space for men to come together. It allows them to share how they are feeling and break and stigma as well as support and network meeting others from across the business.
This network offers a space for parents and guardians to share news and support each other.
The group meets on teams three times a year but around this has an area to share ideas and things that may be going on in local areas.
Our Pregnancy Loss colleague-led network group is a supportive community for individuals who have experienced pregnancy loss. The group offers a safe and inclusive space for members to share their experiences, connect with others, and access information and resources related to pregnancy loss.
At Welsh Water we have guidance for colleagues and line managers and work to raise awareness through stories and training. We are also proud to have signed the miscarriage association pregnancy loss pledge.
Our women’s network meets four times a year offering a safe space for women.
The group supports in making sure we have an inclusive workplace for all and shares ideas on how we attract more women. As well as this we are focussed on inspiring a future generation and work with schools, universities and students to promote the careers and diverse opportunities in Welsh Water.
Gender Pay Gap Report
At Welsh Water, we believe in creating a workforce that is truly diverse and gender-balanced and fully reflects the customers and communities we serve..
This will ensure we can not only better understand and respond to their needs - but also achieve our vision of earning the trust of customers every day. It allows for new ways of thinking from a wider talent pool, which is both necessary and the right thing for a modern business providing the most essential of services, to rise to today’s challenges while also preparing for the future.
Click here to access our gender pay gap reports.