Lloyds TSB sets the standard on disability

Lloyds TSB has been ranked first in the 2007 Employers’ Forum Disability Standard, ahead of 115 organisations taking part in this year’s benchmarking exercise.

Developed by Employers’ Forum on Disability (EFD), the Disability Standard is the only management tool that accurately measures an organisation’s performance on disability issues as both an employer and service provider.

Today’s ranking confirms the progress the bank has made in the last five years. Since 2002 the number of Lloyds TSB staff with a declared disability has trebled and currently almost a third of disabled employees hold a managerial role, compared to just 18 per cent in 2003.

Fiona Cannon, Head of Equality and Diversity at Lloyds TSB, comments: “Accommodating the needs of all our staff is not just as a question of legal compliance. There are clear business benefits when we remove barriers that might prevent one of our employees from doing his or her job effectively. With the help of organisations such as EFD, we have built a work environment in which employees have the confidence to declare their personal disabilities, safe in the knowledge there are support systems in place for them.”

The bank’s success is credited to the unique initiatives it has put in place to create a more ‘disability aware’ workplace, such as the Personal Development Programme (PDP), a three day residential course designed to aid the personal and career development of disabled employees.

Kathryn Lock, a Business Customer Advisor from Stourbridge, attended the Lloyds TSB Personal Development Programme after she developed epilepsy following the birth of her daughter: “My life changed totally when I developed epilepsy. The Personal Development Programme helped me immensely, instead of struggling from day to day being controlled by my condition, the course gave me the ability to be in control, allowing me to focus on my potential and my future, both within Lloyds TSB and as an individual.”

Lloyds TSB has involved its disabled employees in the development and implementation of its disability programme and has conducted two detailed disability employment reviews. Similarly, disabled members of staff have been at the forefront of AXIS, a networking group for disabled employees.

Over 1500 line mangers within the organisation have attended disability awareness courses and all front line employees have undertaken diversity training.

The findings from the Employers’ Forum Disability Standard 2007 will be announced today at the ‘Benchmark for action’ conference hosted by HM Treasury in London.