UK Special Award 2005

Special Award: Disability Excellence
Supporter: Employers' Forum on Disability
www.employers-forum.co.uk

Winner: Centrica Business Services

The Disability Excellence Award supported by the Employers' Forum on Disability seeks to congratulate an organisation for its achievement in addressing disability as a workplace issue. In establishing the criteria for the award, both Great Place to Work^® Institute UK and the Employers' Forum on Disability wanted to identify organisations that demonstrated they go beyond legal compliance and have effectively embedded a positive attitude towards disability into their workplace culture. Employee's' opinions were also incorporated, with a requirement that over 90% of employees felt that everyone was treated fairly regardless of disability.

In satisfying these two elements, Centrica Business Services emerged as the winner of the award. Centrica's proactive approach includes integrating disability awareness into its recruitment procedures and training courses, and providing ongoing support for all employees. Examples include working with Jobcentre Plus to recruit people with disabilities alongside other minority groups, developing an E-Learning package around disability in relation to both the customer and the employee, and making important workplace adjustments such as jointly funding a mobility scooter. Most importantly, Centrica Business Services has recognised that diversity is a core business value and has communicated the importance of this value to its employees. Supporting this is an internal award, which congratulates the individual or team that has done the most to show respect for diversity and inclusion in the work place.