Fair Work, Equal Opportunities, and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)

As a strategic intermediary body for Scotland’s built environment sector, and a membership-led forum, BEFS have developed and follow principles of Fair Work, equal opportunities, and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion as set by the Scottish Government and Historic Environment Scotland. We aim to set an example for our Members through our work towards an equitable, just, and innovative sector.

BEFS is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment. As a membership organisation, we strive to embody these principles within our own operations and to promote them as best practices across Scotland’s built environment sector. If you would like to read our Equal Opportunities policy in full, you can do so here.

BEFS is dedicated to:

• Equality of Opportunity— providing equal opportunities in all aspects of employment and organisational practices, regardless of protected characteristics as outlined in the Equality Act 2010. We support our members in implementing similar inclusive practices
• Promoting Diversity— recognising and valuing the diversity of backgrounds, lived experiences, and perspectives within our organisation, our membership, and the broader built environment sector
• Fostering Inclusion— creating an inclusive culture where everyone feels welcomed, respected, and able to contribute fully. We encourage and support our members to cultivate similar inclusive environments
• Eliminating Discrimination— working to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation within our organisation, our membership network, and in our interactions with partners and stakeholders
• Promoting Accessibility— ensuring our services, events, and information are accessible to all, making reasonable adjustments where necessary. We advocate for increased accessibility across the built environment sector

BEFS is committed to the principles of Fair Work as outlined by the Scottish Government’s Fair Work First policy. It is critical for us to create a work environment that promotes respect, opportunity, and growth, not only for the wellbeing of our own employees but also as a model of best practice for our members and the wider built environment sector in Scotland. If you would like to read our Fair Work policy in full, you can do so here.

BEFS is dedicated to:

• Fair Remuneration— ensuring all our employees, including apprentices and contracted staff, receive at least the Real Living Wage. We encourage our members to adopt similar fair pay practices
• Effective Voice— providing appropriate channels for genuine and effective voice for all our workers. We support our members in implementing effective communication strategies within their own organisations
• Opportunity— offering opportunities for learning, development, and progression for all staff. We facilitate knowledge sharing and professional development opportunities for our member organisations
• Security— providing secure and flexible employment where possible and working to eliminate unnecessary zero-hours contracts. We advocate for job security across the sector
• Respect— fostering a culture of respect, where diversity is valued, and discrimination of any kind is not tolerated. We promote these values throughout our membership network

As a leading voice in Scotland’s built environment sector, BEFS is committed to enabling and supporting best practices in Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion, as well as Fair Work. We believe that embracing these principles is not only a legal obligation but also essential for the richness, quality, and sustainability of our work and that of our members. Additionally, by adhering to and promoting Fair Work principles we not only benefit our employees but also contribute to raising standards across the entire sector.

BEFS support transparency in our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion developments. We are currently undertaking a project to further develop both internal and external policies and practices to ensure that BEFS, our Board, our membership, and our work reflect the true diversity and innovatory potential of our sector.

We encourage you to follow our developments in this area throughout 2024 and 2025, and we look forward to sharing our work with the sector. If you would like to subscribe to our Bulletin you can do so here.

We recognise that developing just and progressive practices for a more resilient sector is a collaborative work that requires learning and changing, and we would be grateful to receive your suggestions in this area. Please get in touch on info@befs.org.uk.