Equal Employment Opportunity Annual Report – 1999 Objectives of the Program & Selection of Indicators

Merit is the key principle in staffing decisions.

The Bank announced its formal commitment to equal employment opportunity in May 1984 and since then has produced five plans to progressively achieve the objectives of its EEO Program. The Program is intended to encourage good personnel management practices for all staff, while meeting legal obligations for the designated EEO groups. The Bank is committed to equality of opportunity for all its employees. It seeks to ensure that there are no policies or practices that discriminate unlawfully against staff, in particular the designated EEO groups. Merit is the key principle in staffing decisions. Recruiting and retaining the best people, capitalising on the diverse skills of employees, and adapting work practices to help employees accommodate work and family needs are key goals in maximising the efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation.

A range of indicators has been selected to monitor the progress of EEO groups in the Bank. These include salary ranges, salaried classification levels, occupational groups, and staff movements – recruitment, promotions, transfers and resignations. Data are also maintained on retention rates following parental leave, participation in training and development, and the provision of study assistance.

EEO Plan extended to June 2000.

As part of the Bank's Equal Employment Opportunity program a new EEO plan was developed to cover the period from July 1997 to June 1999. During this reporting period the Plan was extended a further 12 months until June 2000. The Plan recognises the diversity of the Bank's staff and seeks to accommodate that diversity to the extent possible within broader Bank objectives.

The EEO plan sets out a series of goals under the following headings: staff selection, career development and staff training, and conditions of employment. These are presented in Appendix 2.