Equal Employment Opportunity Annual Report – 1998 Objectives of the Program & Selection of Indicators

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 EEO designated groups. Merit is the key principle in staffing decisions.

EEO policies and practices are designed to increase the awareness of managers and supervisors of any biases that may influence personnel management decisions. These policies and practices do not assume that everyone has the same abilities, qualifications and experience, or that everyone will reach the same level in the Bank. Rather, that everyone should be given an equal chance to make the most of their abilities.

Merit is the key principle in staffing decisions.

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.

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. 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.