Moving onto the next of our inspirational women here at Slicker is Alison Lake, our Customer Service and Workshop Waste Service Delivery Manager. Alison, who has been with Slicker for nine years, oversees a team of six people who deal with inbound calls, emails, and general enquiries that come to us, as well as booking oil and workshop collections. She has over 25 years of customer service experience.
Hi Alison. Thanks for joining us this morning. To kick off, the first question is about IWD itself and understanding, valuing, and seeking out better inclusion of women. But what does inclusion mean to you?
I’m delighted to take part and I think it’s really positive we’re doing this. For me, inclusion means every female is seen and treated as equal in life, and the workplace, no matter what industry or line of work they are in. That sense of achievement and success should be celebrated and it’s all the greater as women have worked so hard for equality and inclusion.
And what more can be done to improve female inclusion in the workplace?
The stigma that you are just a woman in the workplace is slowly dying out however, it still exists in some workplaces and we need to irradicate it completely so all women are treated as equals and the next generation doesn’t have to experience it. More and more women are now working in what used to be predominantly male industries, such as Waste, which is fantastic to see.
Looking inwards to Slicker itself. What do you think is done here to ensure balance and female inclusion?
The vast majority of managerial and or senior positions at Slicker Recycling are held by women showing general equality throughout the company. The most inspirational and one of the strongest women I have had the privilege of working with is our MD Laura Carter.
Never have I come across a woman who is so driven, and works so hard, whilst running a house and raising her children single-handedly. I have watched her study for her degree which she successfully achieved and now she is a Managing Director in a company that was once perceived to be very much male-dominated…what more can I say, except, I have learned so much from her and for that, I am very grateful. She is not only an inspiration but also a lovely person and a great role model for all the younger women at Slicker Recycling.
And what will you be doing to play your part this year in promoting female achievement, or pushing back against bias or discrimination?
My aim is to inspire my team and for them to see that no matter your age, background, or gender, if you work hard anything can be achieved. I will always fight for what is right and fight against bias or discrimination.
And finally…it wouldn’t be IWD without asking you which female has inspired you in the past 12 months?
Tina Turner has always inspired me throughout my life, despite everything she went through her achievements were and still are iconic. She continues to inspire even after her death.
Closer to home all the females that I work alongside here at Slicker inspire me every day by supporting when life gets tough and celebrating when things go well…we all come together and together we make it work.
For more on International Women’s Day 2024, you can visit the website through https://www.internationalwomensday.com/
