Striving for the right environment for everyone at Jacobs

Created by VERCIDA for Jacobs

 

 

Nicholas Gallo talks about how making changes great and small empowers people with disabilities at Jacobs.

 

In September 2021, I started working for Jacobs as an environmental scientist and it’s safe to say that there is plenty of variety in my work and no two days are the same. We could be working on anything from big reports for entire countries to working out a plan for best practice waste management.

I am a jack-of-all-trades, which makes sense because I studied across a range of disciplines at the Universities of Leicester and Cardiff, including sustainable energy, environmental engineering technology, geology and Earth sciences.

 

The importance of the ACE Network

Jacobs’ ACE (Access, Connect, Empower) Network is part of the company’s work to improve things for employees with physical, mobility and cognitive disabilities, as well as employees who are carers. As well as making sure that all reasonable adjustments are made to ensure everyone is empowered to be effective at work and that company policies reflect that commitment, the network is for carers of people with disabilities, allies and, quite simply, anyone who wants to learn more about how to be more inclusive.

A Jacobs colleague, Samantha Daly, had a vision for the network and Jacobs backed the founding members of the network from the beginning. It is so important to have the support of senior leaders and the network provides routes, such as executive sponsor and network chair roles, to help provide guidance, advice and advocacy within the business. We were provided with a budget for the first year to set up the network and accommodate some of the larger initial costs.

As part of the top-level support for the ACE Network and employees, Jacobs has committed to the Valuable 500. This means the company has publicly set out what it intends to achieve for people with disabilities and carers. The commitments are focused on accessibility and awareness, as well as accountability through measurable progress.

The ACE Network promotes initiatives by Jacobs that support neurodiverse employees. There can be a lot of misunderstanding about neurodiversity, so it is great to see a range of initiatives. Anyone can go online to learn more via a dedicated Neurodiversity intranet page, along with a Teams group for internal discussions and collaboration. Training is also really important - the ACE Network supports the ‘Neurodiversity in the Workplace training that is available to all staff. We need to raise awareness, improve understanding and ensure every neurodiverse employee can reach their full potential.

Anyone can join the ACE network, which is really important for raising awareness and starting those crucial conversations about disability and caring for others in the workplace. The network provides information and resources, as well as holding events on a wide range of topics. Everyone needs to hear the points of view and perspectives of disabled people and carers – this is where the networks’ talks are so important. These events provide a safe space for people to share their stories, ask questions and learn more.

Normalising the role of people with disabilities is a vital step forward for normalising the conversations we have about disability. Representation and visibility is important when we help people have better experiences at work.

 

 

My experience at Jacobs

I believe that Jacobs is striving towards creating a fully equitable environment for all people including those with disabilities or who provide care,  and is learning and growing as a business. For me, it has been mostly about making reasonable adjustments so I can be an effective employee who happens to have ADHD and dyslexia. One significant adjustment that have been made for me includes the provision of dictation software, so I can talk rather than type, especially on longer documents. This makes communication so much easier and more effective, which means I can be more productive.

I have the kind of job where I am always juggling multiple projects, so anything that helps reduce the mental load and helps me to think more clearly makes such a difference. When I work from home, I can have two screens. This means less working memory is required for me to transfer things and move between different programmes. The second screen is small enough to fit in my room and it is easy to take to client sites.

Even simple things go a long way to improving my experiences at work. Microsoft Viva Insights is a great example of this – the recommendations and reminders help me manage my time, stay focused and make sure I don’t forget to complete important tasks that might have fallen off the radar.

Looking ahead, I can see a good career path for myself at Jacobs. There are opportunities to try different things, work for different parts of the company and develop new skills. I think it is also important to know your weaknesses as well as playing to your strengths – there are certain things, such as writing a 200-page report, where I might not be as effective, but it would be a great opportunity for someone else. If everyone can feel visible and included, hopefully we can all achieve our full potential, no matter who we are or how differently we might go about doing it.
 

For further information on Jacobs’ Equity, Diversity and Inclusion programme and initiatives please click here.