Access Bank is committed to creating a work environment where people can make a difference both as individuals and as part of a team. The engaging, inclusive work environment attracts and retains best talent and diversity is an integral part of this.
In recognition of the value we place on our staff, the Bank’s responsible activities in this regard span across employee communication and representation; ensuring employability and skills development; diversity and equality; fair remuneration; work-life balance, health, safety and wellbeing and responsible restructuring.
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A. Health, Safety and Wellbeing
The Group is committed to providing a working environment which is both safe and fit for the intended business purpose. In doing so, it ensures that it complies with health and safety legislation and that health and safety issues are a matter of priority for all business operations.
- Access Care Programme
The Access Care Programme is an initiative aimed at ensuring workplace health and safety. The programme provides a satisfactory and complementary healthcare-services portfolio outside of the core hospital setting; in a realistic manner which will synergise the attainment of good health. Access Care comprises a basic workplace first aid and health empowerment programme.
This provides employees with the necessary tools to make informed decisions during illness and emergency, in order to prevent avoidable deaths. This programme is implemented in collaboration with Livewell Initiative, a health empowerment NGO, focused on increasing life expectancy through health empowerment.
Implementation of the Access care workplace programme ensured the following objectives were met:
- First Aid Kits were deployed and installed bank-wide.
- First Aiders (Access Carers) have been appointed in all offices.
- Selected Access Carers were trained and certified by the American Red Cross. The Carers are responsible for administering Basic Life Support first aid services
- Individual members of staff were also provided with Personal Compact First Aid Kits.
- Guidelines for usage of compact kit were made available to all members of staff.
Health Empowerment workshops will hold regularly to provide employees with necessary information healthy living and for sustenance of the initiative.
Access Bank Plc is the first indigenous Bank to have a fully operational workplace policy on HIV/AIDS. The HIV/AIDS workplace policy creates a platform to minimize the possibility of HIV infection amongst staff; their families and dependants. It helps ensure the creation of a supportive work environment for staff infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, helping them manage and mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS and eliminate stigma and discrimination in the workplace.
We strongly believe that adequate and accurate information will empower our people to understand the HIV infection phenomenon, prevent transmission and ultimately engender a non-discriminatory attitude towards people living with HIV/AIDS.
The following programmes have been designed to facilitate HIV/AIDS awareness, education and prevention among employees.
- Interactive sensitization session for all employees.
- Information dissemination on HIV/AIDS through internal Newsletter “HR Weekly”. Pertinent awareness issues are covered and numbers for voluntary counselling and testing are provided.
- An integral sustenance measure for the awareness programme is the setting up of an E-forum discussion group where staff can share real personal experiences and discuss contemporary realities and progress specific to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. This will offer a safe space where staff members can access information and discuss HIV related issues freely and without inhibition.
B. Communication and Representation
Communication with our workforce takes a variety of forms, depending upon the legislative and cultural framework in each of the countries in which we operate. We value input from our employees and actively seek it through a variety of means: employee representative groups, employee surveys and focus group discussions.
This enables us to benchmark employees' responses, to draw upon best practice areas across the Group and to focus future strategies accordingly.
C. Employability and Skills Development
Access Bank Plc values the contribution of its employees as the source of competitive advantage for the Bank. Our group management development and training policy states that the company will invest in its employees' training and development, building their capabilities to meet the business plans and provide internal management succession. This remains a critical success factor for the Bank.
Continuous learning forms an integral part of our core values, and largely informs the Bank’s commitment in providing support for all members of staff undertaking various professional training and exposure. Continuous learning remains a prerequisite for ensuring and sustaining high performance across the Bank.
Access Bank Plc seeks to build a rewarding career for high performance team through appropriate training and developmental programmes.
D. Volunteering
At Access Bank Plc, one of the important ways of realizing our commitment to sustainable development across various communities wherein we operate is through an integrated Employee Volunteering Program. It represents a key strategy for direct contribution to the community through staff involvement and participation in community development programmes in identified focus areas.
Employee Volunteering in Access Bank Plc is voluntary; reflects our culture and values; addresses community needs; reflects employee interest and skills; and is driven by high impact and sustainability.
Activities implemented under employee volunteering scheme include but not limited to: mentoring programs; infrastructural upgrade; philanthropic donations; endowment funds and funding awareness for campaigns in the areas of Heath, Education, Environment and Sports, amongst others.
Reported benefits of Access Bank’s Volunteering scheme over the period under review include:
- Opportunity to learn and acquire new, transferable skills.
- Better understanding of community issues
- Improved employee self perception, self worth and satisfaction
- Team bonding
Case Studies
- Adoption of Ladipo Primary School by Group Compliance and Internal Control
This is a School adoption project that commenced in 2009 and will be implemented over a period of 3 years. The focus is on upgrade of infrastructural facilities, provision of educational tools and mentoring. So far, the team has renovated the administrative building, provided 5 personal computers and 12 chairs and tables for the kindergarten school and renovated the rest-rooms.
For 2010, the project will be focused on the Personal and General Hygiene, Maintenance of infrastructure and mentoring sessions.
- Mind The Gap Mentoring Project by Branch Services in conjunction with e-Green
This is a sustainable development project whereby staff mentor fresh graduates (protégés) participating in the National Youth Service Corps to adequately position them for leadership in the community. The protégés in turn become mentors to Junior Secondary School students.
A total of 60 hours is to be expended by each mentor over an 8-month period.
These include:
3 hours at each quarterly accountability session with super mentor = 12 hours
2 hours monthly interactive session with protégés = 16 hours
1 hour weekly (online) mail response to protégés = 32 hours
Mentors have held an accountability session with Dr. Christopher Kolade (Chairman, Convention on Business Integrity) and Ken Spann, Developer Platform Evangelist Lead for Microsoft Anglophone West Africa. Currently, each staff has mentored 5 NYSC members and over 360 protégés have participated in the programme.
Branch Services Group has also contributed N700,000 (Seven Hundred Thousand Naira) towards the successful implementation of the MTG project.
- Support for Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) by Global Trade in conjunction with Hope Worldwide
The initiative provides support for orphan and vulnerable children (OVC) and youth at risk given that their caregiver are dead or infected with HIV/AIDS. The programme comprises of mentoring and educational/health support for children and youth between the ages of 10 – 21.
The Project spans a period of 3 years (2009 – 2012) and Global Trade has committed to contribute N4.2million (N1.4million per annum) for the successful implementation.
On 21st November, 2009, the Group participated in a 10km Great Hope Walk (from Maryland to Stadium in Surulere) for enlightenment and awareness on HIV/AIDS.
- The Future Of Our Youth; Our Passion by Central Processing Centre Group
The Herbert Macaulay Senior Girls Grammar School, Sabo, Yaba is the beneficiary of this initiative. The school has been adopted for a 3 year period starting from 2009. The project will include establishment of an Endowment Fund; infrastructural upgrade and Career & Counselling sessions for the students.
CPC Group has committed to expend N7.4million for the successful implementation of the project, over 3 years.
- Support the Physically Challenged by Internal audit
The Atunda-Olu School programme was implemented with the sum of N300,000.00. Items donated include physiotherapy equipments such as Finger exercisers, Pro-nature equipments, re-education boards, infrared Lamps, hand grips and tables and chairs (for the nursery class).
- Combating HIV/AIDS by Human Resources Group, in conjunction with Wealth Management, Retail and CCBG Mainland
This volunteering initiative displays teamwork across the Bank as 4 various groups are implementing the project in conjunction with relevant stakeholders. These stakeholders include Non-governmental organizations, Government agencies and the media.
The initiative is aimed at supporting global efforts at curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS and a total sum of N2.5million is to be expended for the planned activities in 2009.
These activities include a stage play to be performed by Theatre@Terraculture to educate a range of stakeholders on HIV/AIDS, launch of e-forum discussion groups for all Access Bank employees on the intranet, support for children living with HIV/AIDS through the sponsorship of Christmas party for them in conjunction with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) and provision of e-brochure on HIV/AIDS to all Access Bank employees.