Ardmag Take Care Edition : Apr 2022

Ardmag Take Care Edition : Apr 2022

We’ve got news

The Take Care Edition

Apr 2022

www.handsomefrank.com

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“April is the kindest month. April gets you out of your head and out working in the garden.” Marty Rubin

Hi there, how are you doing today? I hope you’re taking good care of yourself.

We welcome April but it has been a tough year, pandemic easing relief was very quickly replaced with atrocious news and images from the Ukraine and beyond. In times of crisis, it’s important for all of us to help where we can, and bear witness where we can’t. It’s also important to continue caring for ourselves and for each other. When the world is frightening, we often resort to familiar coping mechanisms which can be unhealthy and unsustainable – staying up late doom-scrolling on our phones, stress eating, stress drinking, avoidance, bingeing TV, and so on. Check out ‘The Happiness Letter’ 30 stress-busting ideas that take less than 30 minutes. Ideas for coping when you’re feeling overwhelmed. We need to take care of ourselves, each other and our world. Read on for Ardmag news, updates, Ardmac CSR commitments and our good news section. Please take a few minutes to complete the Ardmag survey. This is your community magazine, get involved by contacting taine.kingofarrell@ ardmac.com

https://liekeland.nl/

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Apr 2022

Hello April

April

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LADDERS

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GOOD FRIDAY

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

EASTER SUNDAY

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EARTH DAY ARDMAC GARDEN DAY

EASTER MONDAY

BIOLOGICAL AGENTS

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NATIONAL WORKPLACE WELLBEING DAY

PHARMA AWARDS

TASK AND PLANNING

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good news A round up of good news from all over the business. It’s important for us all to celebrate the little things and get to know one another. So if you have any good news stories – please be sure to send them on to [email protected] at any time.

Cathal O’Neill

Martina Purcell

WELCOME LITTLE ONE Congratulations to Cathal O’Neill and his wife Orlaith on the arrival of their beautiful baby girl Niamh O’Neill. Niamh was born on Valentine’s Day

CONGRATULATIONS Congratulations to Martina Purcell’s daughter Laura on her recent marriage to the lovely Jonathan. Martina is delighted to announce that she is now related to Joan Dunne through her new Son in Law!

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Apr 2022

ST PATRICKS DAY FUN Thanks to Annie Mullen who captured some photos of the fun that was had out on site for St.Patrick’s Day Festivities. Pat O’Connor got dunked in the dunking chair! Annie Mullen

Michal Toroj

Lisa Jennings

GREAT WORK Michal’s partner is fundraising to help Ukrainian refugees in Poland. This is to provide accommodation, food and other basics for the people who fled from the war in their home country. Click here to donate

CONGRATULATIONS To show her commitment to her kids and their love of GAA, Lisa is now part of the U14 LGFA Coach squad, and is taking part in a Gaelic4Teens initiative which is assisting coaches in better retaining young girls in Gaelic Football.

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and the Award goes to... Ardmac

It was a successful night for team Ardmac at the Irish Construction Industry Awards.

We won the COVID-19 Crisis Response Award and the Excellence in Health and Safety Award.

At Ardmac, safety first and always is foremost in our thinking. For everyone around us, in everything we do and wherever we impact. It is fantastic to see our people’s dedication to safety be recognised, well done to all.

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Apr 2022

facility for electronic signing of documents, fleet management tracking and bespoke reporting and analysis. It also allows for the measurement of employee performance and engagement. Well done to Terry Keegan, Yvonne O’Sullivan, Patrick Matthews and Emma Hoey on their win which is a well-deserved recognition of their hard work and commitment to continuous improvement. Upcoming Events We have a busy few weeks ahead at Ardmac. We are attending the Pharma Awards on the 27th of April at the Mansion House in Dublin. We are nominated for the Pharma Supplier of the Year, and we are sponsoring the Health and Safety Award. On May 14th, Ardmac are attending the Irish Construction Excellence Awards. We are nominated for three awards, Health, Safety and Wellbeing Initiative, BIM Excellence and Innovation in Construction. We are looking forward to attending these awards and meeting those within the industry. The very best of luck to all who are nominated.

Ardmac would like to congratulate our HR Team who won the Champion Use of Innovation TechnologyAwardat the2022 IrishHRChampions Awards. The winning initiative was the HR Digitalization project which was implemented on a gradual basis throughout 2021. The objective of the project was to have all HR Records and financial information stored on Ardmac’s Human Resource Information System, BambooHR. The team’s objective was to integrate other Ardmac IT systems with the Bamboo platform, so all HR and people reporting information would be available in real time. It also allowed for the information to be accessible when tendering or assessing costs for upcoming construction projects. The work done by the HR team created bespoke functionality that is applicable to Ardmac’s needs. The many benefits include, time sheet completion, tracking of training records, a

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Our Ardmac team had a fantastic afternoon at Host in Ireland’s 2022 Celebration at Airfield Estate in Dublin. This event acknowledged the involvement and success of the DCs for Bees Orchards in the Community initiative. We received a certificate for our involvement with the project which saw us plant 40 trees across our local community. We were also honoured to receive two plaques as recognition for our two years as partners with Host in Ireland. Ardmac are proud to be partners with an organisation that continually work to bring our industry together and create positive change. host in Ireland’s 2022 Celebration

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can avail of a 10% discount.

Laya Healthcare have waived the following waiting periods for Ardmac employees:

Apr 2022

Employees are eligible to use the €1,000 s ubsidy to join laya healthcare on any scheme and you can avail of a 10% discount. Laya Healthcare have waived the following waiting periods for Ardmac employees: Please call customer care on 021 202 2000 to set up your policy and quote your Group ID: 28529 Employees are eligible to use the €1,000 subsidy to join Laya healthcare on any scheme and you can avail of a 10% discount. Laya Healthcare have waived the following waiting periods for Ardmac employees: • Initial • Maternity • Upgrade from another provider • Pre existing Please call customer care on 021 202 2000 to set up your policy and quote your Group ID: 28529 • Initial • Maternity • Upgrade from another provider • Pre existing

• Initial • Maternity • Upgrade from another provider • Pre existing

Please call customer care on 021 202 2000 to set up your policy and quote your Group ID: 28529 9

01. Limit the time you spend watching the News, on TV and through your feeds. If you find that you’re worrying a lot about the news it’s healthy and appropriate to limit how much you’re watching. Doom-scrolling dubious reports on social media all day long – or watching the same TV reports on repeat – doesn’t make you more informed or more compassionate. When it comes to how we engage with the news, most mental health professionals agree: The healthiest approach is to check a reliable news source a couple of times a day to stay informed, then step away. The Blindboy Podcast had a really helpful episode about managing your mental health when the news is overwhelming. Click here. 02. Go Offline When you’re feeling overwhelmed, carve out some ‘me time’ to take a break from the internet’s endless notifications and interruptions. Put your phone on flight mode, disconnect from wifi or leave it in a drawer or if you can’t stick to your best intentions, try the Freedom app. It allows you to select the phone functions, apps, or websites you want to block and when you want to block them.

30 Quick tips to cope List adapted from ‘The Happiness Letter’ by Zita Spring. Subscribe Here

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Apr 2022

03. Take Action It’s easy to feel helpless and upset watching the news in times of crisis. Try to focus instead on what you can control and ways you can help – like donating, protesting or attending a fundraiser. Search for local fundraising events in support of trusted charities. 04. 4-7-8 Breathing The 4-7-8 breathing pattern aims to reduce anxiety. It involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 seconds and exhaling for 8 seconds. Via Medical News Today: 1. Empty the lungs of air. 2. Breathe in quietly through the nose for 4 seconds. 3. Hold the breath for a count of 7 seconds. 4. Exhale forcefully through the mouth, pursing the lips and making a “whoosh” sound, for 8 seconds. 5. Repeat the cycle up to 4 times. 05. Resonance Breathing Resonance breathing can help you feel relaxed and less anxious. It involves lying down, inhaling for 6 seconds and exhaling for 6 seconds.

Via Very Well Mind:

1. Lie down and close your eyes. 2. Gently breathe in through your nose, mouth closed, for a count of 6 seconds. Don’t fill your lungs too full of air. 3. Exhale for 6 seconds, allowing your breath to leave your body slowly and gently without forcing it. 4. Continue for up to 10 minutes. 5. Take a few additional minutes to be still and focus on how your body feels. 06. Mindfulness Meditation Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on your breathing and bringing your attention to the present. Try search “Guided mindfulness meditation 10 minutes” or “Guided mindfulness meditation 5 minutes” on YouTube and hope for the best!

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08. Grounding Game Ask yourself a question that has several answers: Recite the phonetic alphabet. Name as many European countries as you can. Name as many US states as you can. Practice simple times tables. The idea is to focus your mind on something other than anxiety. 09. Use an Anchoring Phrase Choose a sentence or phrase that you can say internally throughout the day whenever you notice yourself feeling tense or anxious or when you’re facing a challenging situation. You can place your hand on your heart when you say it. Examples include: “I’m doing my best and that’s enough.” “This is difficult, but I’ll get through it.” “How can I meet this challenge with loving kindness?” Your anchoring phrase should sound like the sort of words of encouragement you would say to a friend.

07. 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Grounding is a meditative practice that draws your attention to the present moment, usually by focusing your attention on one or more of your five senses and the physical world around you. Grounding exercises can be particularly helpful if you’re feeling anxious, stressed out, distracted or overwhelmed. Engage your senses with the 5-4-3-2-1 technique and list in your mind the things you notice around you:

5 things you can see 4 things you can feel 3 things you can hear 2 things you can smell 1 thing you can taste

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10. Listen to music Put on a favourite song and listen closely as if it were the first time you’d heard it. Put on songs from your teenage years. See our last issue of Ardmag and some Ardmac community song picks here. 11. Hug it out It’s easy to get lost in our own heads in turbulent times. Reach out to loved ones instead. As author and psychotherapist Lisa Olivera wrote recently, “May we hold ourselves and those we love close, knowing it is all that really matters.” 12. Phone a friend 13. Meet a friend for coffee 14. Go for a walk with a friend 15. Send a card in the post

16. Trampoline, roller skate, dance...Move! Forget about weight loss, forget about fitness, forget about goals, now we can reclaim it’s simple joy. As an expression of vitality, as a way of releasing physical tension and as a way of producing feel-good hormones like endorphins. 17. Walk in nature 18. Do a quick yoga session with Jonathan Van Ness from Queer Eye It’s widely agreed that asking someone who’s struggling with their mental or physical health “Have you tried doing yoga?” is second only to asking “Have you tried not being sick?” in terms of its helpfulness. But “Have you tried doing yoga with JVN? It’s free, only takes five minutes, and he’s a gift to humanity,” is a different proposition altogether. If there’s a yoga instructor out there who’s as charismatic and delightful as Jonathan Van Ness, I’d like to know. It’s free to access on the FitOn app. 19. Go on nice bike ride 20. Go for a run

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22. Find a quiet space, be still and collect your thoughts for a few minutes 23. Make a cup of tea, sit down and enjoy it without any distractions 24. Take a nap 25. Journal 26. Watch an episode of a feel-good TV show 27. Read for pleasure 28. Spend time practicing a relaxing hobby Gardening, knitting, jigsaw puzzling, cooking, baking, crafting, carving, scrapbooking. 29. Express yourself creatively Writing, painting, drawing, sculpting, photography, collaging, singing, playing an instrument, etc. 30. Book something therapeutic to look forward to ‘Therapeutic’ is open to your own interpretation. Maybe it could be a therapy session, a massage, an art workshop, a cinema trip, a hike, a golf outing, musuem or gallery trip, a meeting with loved ones.

21. Be kind to yourself “When you treat yourself kindly, you exude kindness to everyone around you,” Psychologist Donatella Poceddu of The Mindful Body Some of the next suggestions might sound corny or obvious, and you might prefer me to include on this list, “Drink a bottle of wine and spend a few hours scrolling Twitter,” but being gentle with ourselves and doing corny stuff like having a little tea ritual genuinely relieves stress and makes us feel better. Whereas drinking alcohol and zoning out on devices provides only a temporary distraction from stress and ultimately makes us feel worse.

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Apr 2022

Sustaining Hope in Uncertain Times

When things are uncertain, it’s easy to lose hope. But allowing yourself to sink into a funk can affect you professionally and personally. To build and sustain optimism, envision a plausible, positive future. First, write out what you are currently imagining about the future and the emotions these images provoke. Describe exactly what you are anticipating (for example, “still working from my bedroom next year”) instead of generalities (like “working from home”). Specific images, not general ideas, have the greatest impact on our internal state. Second, imagine things have gone well for you over the next two years and write a letter to yourself from that future. Describe your life. What is going on in your work world? Personal life? The key question is: “Where will I be if things have gone well for me?” Crucially, it needs to feel optimistic but realistic. Third, stand in that future. Vividly imagine yourself in the future you’ve described. Imagine the conversations you’re having with people around you. Imagine your sensory experiences. This thought exercise will help you clarify what exactly to hope for — the first step toward actually realizing that life for yourself.

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In honour of St. Patrick’s Day past, (and the extra long weekend for Ireland) here is some inspiring life advice from an Irish author. Ireland is known as ‘The Land of Saints and Scholars’ and boasts approx. one Nobel Literary Laureate per one million people. Our Nobel Laureates include William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney. They don’t include Maeve Binchy. Maeve Binchy (1939-2012) was an author who wrote humorous, warm-hearted novels set in small- town Ireland. Most popular was Circle of Friends, which was made into a movie starring Colin Firth and Minnie Driver in 1995. Maeve’s novels never received much literary acclaim but she was a beloved public figure, and her wildly successful writing career made her, at one time, one of Ireland’s richest women.

She lived life on her own terms and was a great woman for no-nonsense life advice.

“In my books, there is no ‘ugly duckling turning into a beautiful swan’ syndrome because if you look at the Hansel and Gretel syndrome, it was a mistake. It wasn’t a duckling, it was a cygnet, and that’s why it turned into a swan. The duckling should with any luck turn into a nice clucking duck and get on with its life. Cluck! Cluck! Cluck!”

Meave Binchy May 28, 1940 - Jul 30, 2012

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The Sweetness of Water Nathan Harris Yvonne O’Sullivan

Name:

Ardmag book Club

Author:

Reader:

Set in the state of Georgia, USA at the time of the ending of the Civ- il War and freedom from slavery. Two brothers, recently emancipated slaves, are employed by a white farmer to work his land. Relationships and trust slowly develop and the brothers settle into a good life in their new home. The local town is not ready for this change and when the brothers find themselves witnesses to an illicit love affair and a murder, chaos develops and the brothers struggle to live with the race relations that develop within the community. It’s a beautifully written and compelling book, the character development is superb and there are enough sub-plots within the book to keep you read- ing and interested.

For me it was a five star read and one I really recommend to all readers.

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Apr 2022

Ardmag book Club

Yvonnne has kicked off the Ardmag Book Club with a wonderful pick. Thank you Yvonne for your review. Please join our club and send your thoughts on The Sweetness of Water to [email protected] before the end of May and they will be published in the next issue of Ardmag. Yvonne has nominated Cathal O’Neill to choose and review the next club pick. We’ll be in touch Cathal :)

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DONATE NOW

There have been a lot of recent enquiries as to what staff at Ardmac can do to support the people affected by the Ukraine crisis. Red Cross teams are on the ground now in Ukraine and are working to repair vital infrastructure, support health facilities, and help families with life-saving food and hygiene items. This is a rapidly evolving crisis. Any donations will help those affected get food, medicine, shelter and water. Your support will also help the Red Cross to assist those displaced by conflict. If you would like to donate please use the following link: https://www.redcross.ie/latest-appeals/ukraine-crisis-appeal/ If you have other ideas of how Ardmac can support this crisis please send your suggestions to [email protected]

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Apr 2022

SATURDAY MAY 7TH 2022 REGISTER NOW

If you are interested in participating please email [email protected] and mention how you will be participating - by walk, swim or bike. We also ask that you share your sunrise moment with us on May 7th, simply take a photo wherever you are at 5:30am and email it to us. Wearing or holding something yellow is optional! Please donate whatever you can to the Darkness into Light Sunrise appeal. Your donation will be greatly appreciated and help to make a difference to those in need. Ardmac will match your registration fee and any additional donations made. Just send a screenshot of your donation and/or your registration email to [email protected] and we will match these amounts. We can create a global sunrise moment and join together to be the light against the dark.

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BU I L D I NG B E T T E R FOR OUR F U T UR E We are proud of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme - Sky Blue. When we succeed, our staff, community and society succeeds too. By encouraging wellbeing, giving back to our community and working in sustainable ways we not only improve people’s lives but, we also improve our business. Ardmac recognises the importance of environmental matters and is committed to promoting sustainability. We ensure that environmental protection and prevention are part of our daily operations and business decisions. We aim to follow and promote good sustainability practices and work consistently to reduce the environmental impacts of all our business activities. Ardmac are fully committed to ethically and responsibly managing all aspects of our operations, every day.

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Apr 2022

At Ardmac, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) plays an integral role in our day-to-day operations. We work within the recognised pillars of CSR; Community, Environment, Workplace and Marketplace. Ardmac are fully committed to ethically and responsibly managing all aspects of our operations, every day. Our CSR programme ‘Sky Blue’ encourages our employee’s wellbeing, giving back to our community and working in sustainable ways.

Our aim for 2022 is as follows:

Raise €100,000.

Pieta House, Darkness into Light Sunrise Appeal.

Cycle for Hope 2022.

Mental Health Awareness Week.

Fundraising for Ukraine.

“It’s time to talk” campaign.

A Mental Health First Aider for every Ardmac site. DCs for Bees. Plant more orchards in the community in 2022. Turn Ardmac rooftop garden into a pollination station.

“It’s good to talk” whatsapp group for support for those suffering. Lunchtime Wellness talks across a variety of wellness topics.

Ardmac Community magazine with wellness topics and tips.

All staff have one full paid volunteer day per year.

Sponsoring the National Literacy Trust UK.

SEE OUR FULL COMMITMENT ARTICLE HERE

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meet the csr team Please get in touch with the team if you have any ideas or comments [email protected]

Catherine Greene Senior Quantity Surveyor

John Alexander Senior Planner

Michelle O’Brien Buyer

Gavin King SHEQ Manager

Lauren O’Shea SHEQ Advisor

Ian Madden Chief Financial Officer

Hilary Moloney Marketing & Communications Manager

Aisling Kelly Digital Marketing Executive

Bernard Holohan Quality & Environmental Manager

Emma Hoey HR Executive

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Apr 2022

“It’s only right that we put something back into our business, clients and communities we build within. A kind gesture and taking time to try and help others is good for the soul and mind.” Gavin King “Humanity is facing its greatest existential threat in history due to global warming causedby greenhouse gas emissions and pollution. To ensure a safe, secure future for our descendants we must act now and take responsibility for our impact on society. CSR provides the means whereby we at Ardmac can do our part to address the environmental, societal, and economic challenges necessary to make this happen. If we fail to act now it may be too late and the consequences of our inaction will be catastrophic.” Bernard Holohan “CSR is important to me as it helps the greater community by giving back at a time when you are in a fortunate position to do so. You never know a day may come where you may be in the less fortunate position and will be glad of initiatives others are taking to benefit your wellbeing, social environment and greater

A RDMAC AC T I ON

Emma Hoey HR Executive

Ardmac is fully committed to ethically and responsibly managing all aspects of our operations with respect to our employees, clients, neighbours, local communities and all stakeholders. See our full sustainability commitment document here.

community.” Emma Hoey

“We can all play a part in building a better society for all and I joined the Ardmac CSR Team to help us play our part in improving the communities we live

and work in” Ian Madden

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Bike and accessories up to €1,250 ( general bike) & €1,500 (e-bike) savings of Between 31% and 51% over 300 partner stores to choose from Through the scheme you can get a bike and accessories up to a value of €1,250 for a general bike or up to €1,500 for an e-bike, which we will buy for you. The cost will then be deducted from your gross salary over an agreed repayment term. As a result you can save up to 51% of the total price depending on your tax rate. Here’s how to get started: • Open your company microsite: https://ardmac.biketowork.ie/ • Click on “Make an application” • Then click on “Bike” • Follow the instructions • We will make a payment and you will receive your vouch r by ma l It’s as simple as that! 26 Bike to Work is an independent Irish company facilitating thousands of employers to administer the Cycle to Work Scheme and supplying bikes to employees through a nationwide network of over 350 independent Irish bike shops. We are delighted to advise that the Cycle to Work scheme is now available to all eligible Ardmac employees on Irish Payroll . We have partnered with Bike to Work Ltd to offer you an easy online service to help you to take advantage of this fantastic benefit scheme.

Apr 2022

FAO All UK Staff Members As part of the Government’s Green Transport Plan, we are offering you the opportunity to save up to 42% on the cost of bicycles and/or equipment. This is made possible by saving on Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions. There are many benefits in participating in the scheme: • Get a new bike and/or equipment • Cost is spread over weekly/monthly interest free payments (via salary sacrifice) • Save money on travelling costs • Lose weight and tone up • Cycling improves your general health and well-being and reduces stress levels • Reduce your carbon footprint and help save the planet! How it works 1. Employee visits one of the Bike2Work partner shops https://www.bike2workscheme.co.uk/partner- shops to make their selection and obtain a written quotation. 2. Employee registers online with Bike2Work Scheme using the employer PIN B2W/15927 and then logs in to submit their quotation. 3. The point of contact will receive notification that a quote has been submitted and they need to log in and approve the quotation. 4. An e-mail will be sent to the employee to advise if their quote has been approved/declined. 5. If approved, Bike2Work Scheme will generate the invoice and hire agreement. 6. The employer will receive an email providing the invoice and hire agreement to download. 7. If approved, Bike2Work Scheme will generate the invoice and Salary Sacrifice. 8. The employer will receive an email asking them to log in and download both the invoice and Salary Sacrifice. 9. The Salary Sacrifice needs to be signed by both employer and employee and kept for your records only. 10. Once signed by both parties, payment can be made to Bike2Work Scheme as per the invoice. 11. The voucher will be processed the same day as payment clears in our account and sent direct to the bike shop. 12. Both the employer and employee will be notified that payment has been received and the voucher issued. If you would like to take advantage of this fantastic benefit please contact Bike2Work Scheme, who will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

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THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY NEEDS TO EMPLOY MORE WOMEN IF IT IS TO HAVE A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE.

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Construction is a fast paced industry and full of opportunities for creativity and growth for all. The industry focuses on teamwork, creativity and in many instances, international opportunities which can provide varied career progression and personal growth. Employee retention has challenged companies to look at flexible ways of working and take on board feedback fromemployees on howpersonal agendas at all levels can be supported – this in turn can help attract women into our industry by supporting the work life balance that many women seek.

Women starting off their careers in engineering, design, QS or architecture should want to join a company where there are opportunities for growth, investment in people development and an opportunity to work with different cultures and sectors – construction provides all of these opportunities. Ardmac will continue to work to break the bias and support our female professionals.

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International Women’s Day (IWD) has been observed since the early 1900’s - a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies. 1908 Great unrest and critical debate was occurring amongst women. Women’s oppression and inequality was spurring women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change. Then in 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. 1910 In 1910 a second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named Clara Zetkin (Leader of the ‘Women’s Office’ for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) tabled the idea of an International Women’s Day. She proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day - a Women’s Day - to press for their demands. 1911 Following the decision agreed at Copenhagen in Denmark in 1911, International Women’s Day was honoured the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on 19 March. More than one million women and men attended IWD rallies campaigning for women’s rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination. 1913-1914 On the eve of World War I campaigning for peace, Russian women observed their first International Women’s Day on February 23, the last Sunday in February. Following discussions, International Women’s Day was agreed to be marked annually on March 8.

International womens day: a history

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1917 On the last Sunday of February, Russian women began a strike for “bread and peace” in response to the death of over 2 million Russian soldiers in World War 1. Opposed by political leaders, the women continued to strike until four days later the Czar was forced to abdicate and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote. 1975 International Women’s Day was celebrated for the first time by the United Nations in 1975. Then in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by Member States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions. 1996 The UN announced their first annual theme “Celebrating the past, Planning for the Future” 2000 - 2001 By the new millennium, there was little activity occurring for International Women’s Day in most countries. The world had moved on and, in many spheres, feminism wasn’t a popular topic. The internationalwomensday.com platform was launched with the specific purpose of re- energizing the day - a focus which continues to this day - celebrating and making visible the achievements of women while continuing the call for accelerating gender parity.

2021 and beyond Many from a younger generation may feel that ‘all the battles have been won for women’ while many feminists from the 1970’s know only too well the longevity and ingrained complexity of patriarchy. With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of women’s visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality. The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women’s education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men. However, great improvements have been made. We do have female astronauts and prime ministers, school girls are welcomed into university, women can work and have a family, women have real choices. And so each year the world inspires women and celebrates their achievements. WD. Year on year IWD is certainly a powerful moment increasing in status. So make a difference, think globally and act locally! Make everyday International Women’s Day. Do your bit to ensure that the future for girls is bright, equal, safe and rewarding.

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women in STEM Michael Quinn Director of Engineering

As part of their guidelines for the 2018 employment policies of the Member States, the council of the European Union determined that all Union members should work to ensure gender equality and increased labour market #participation by women. CSO figures indicate that the construction industry in Ireland currently has the highest number of women working in the industry on record, with the figure increasing by 25% in 2021 to a total of 14,400. Despite this, women still only make up approximately 9% of the overall construction workforce in the country. The figures specific to Women in STEM in Ireland make for slightly better reading, with the CSO reporting 25% of jobs that require STEM skills are currently occupied by women. However, with only 1 in every 6 engineering graduates being female the likelihood is that the figure for Women in Construction related STEM roles is much lower. Given the career opportunities available, the impact made by the industry

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Apr 2022

worldwide and the innovation happening on an ongoing basis, this no longer makes sense. Along with current global supply chain issues, the shortage of personnel is seen as the greatest challenge facing the construction industry in Ireland. Over the coming years, this is likely to be thesinglebiggestbarrier toachievingGovernment targets for house building, the current National Development Plan and continuing to support the growth of multi-national companies in Ireland. Over thepast20years, Ihaveseentheconstruction industry undergo significant advancement in terms of health and safety, digitalisation, and the application of technology with a ‘work-smarter- not-harder’ philosophy being adopted. At Ardmac, we “Work Smart”, meaning we deploy innovative technology throughout our business to empower our people, drive performance and delight our customers. To support this advancement, the types of roles within the construction industry have had to evolve with multiple new technology-based roles emerging and the level of physically demanding roles reducing. This is especially true in the high-tech sectors in which Ardmac operate. As a leading provider of complex turn-key solutions to the cleanroom and >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58

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