Equal Employment Opportunity Annual Report – 1994 Overview

This is the seventh report prepared by the Reserve Bank on its equal employment opportunity program. Such programs have been operating in the Bank since 1985, under the broad direction of an EEO Policy Committee.

In the period since the inception of its formal EEO programs, the Bank has prepared and implemented three two-year plans, the objectives of which have changed over time to reflect changing needs, priorities and initiatives within the organisation. These plans have been aimed primarily at raising awareness of EEO principles and issues among staff but have sought also to integrate EEO principles into personnel policy formulation and the day-to-day management of staffing decisions.

A fourth plan has been developed to operate for a three year period to June 1996. This plan continues and extends many of the initiatives contained in earlier programs; details are summarised later in this report. Importantly, the new plan has been designed to encourage greater involvement and improved accountability by line managers and supervisors throughout the Bank for EEO issues in their areas. It also aims to encourage local initiatives to supplement the overall Bank-wide agenda, and to reinforce the idea that EEO is an integral part of sensible day-to-day decision making.

Recent reports have commented that the Bank's EEO program is being progressed against a background of major restructuring. This has continued during the year under review, which has seen a substantial reorganisation of some functions in Head Office; staff numbers have continued to fall in both branches and Head Office as a result of natural attrition and a voluntary redundancy program. Although these adjustments complicate the analysis of underlying trends and preclude firm judgments about the effectiveness of some EEO initiatives at this time, they have not deterred the on-going active implementation of EEO initiatives in the Bank.

Details of progress made during the past twelve months are presented in the following pages; activities are described under the Section 6 headings of the Act.