Employers' Forum on Disability event to minimise the risk
26th October 2006
The UK's leading employers' organisation, focused on disability as it affects business, is launching an initiative to ensure organisations minimise the risk of using contracted services.
An event, ‘Minimising the risk: contractors and suppliers', organised by Employers' Forum on Disability (EFD), will be held in London on 10 November. It will be hosted and sponsored by professional services firm KPMG LLP (UK).
Under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), organisations may be liable for the practices of suppliers or contractors if they are found to discriminate against disabled employees or customers.
'Minimising the risk - contractors and suppliers' will provide companies with practical guidance on how to design contracts that will minimise this risk and ensure their suppliers are disability confident.
Mike Blake, KPMG's Chief Financial Officer and Disability Champion, who will be speaking at the event said: "We take seriously our commitment to diversity in KPMG.
"As part of our commitment we are beginning to explore the links between diversity and procurement, so for us this workshop is a timely opportunity to share ideas and best practice on working with suppliers, and encouraging disability confidence in the supply chain."
Nick Bason, Public Affairs Manager at Employers' Forum on Disability, who will also be speaking at the event said: "Diversity policies are a vital part of the procurement process, a fact which employers are beginning to recognise.
"The supply chain is an excellent mechanism to promote best practice in diversity to a range of providers of employment and service delivery providers.
"EFD is working to demonstrate the benefits of diversity in procurement, and then provide the tools for employers to act. "
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Notes to editors
About KPMG
KPMG LLP, a UK limited liability partnership operates from 22 offices across the UK with over 9,000 partners and staff. The UK firm recorded a turnover of £1.28 billion in the year ended September 2005. KPMG is a global network of professional firms providing audit, tax, and advisory services. We operate in 144 countries and have more than 104,000 professionals working in member firms around the world. The independent member firms of the KPMG network are affiliated with KPMG International, a Swiss co-operative. KPMG International provides no client services.
Media enquiries, please contact:
Liz Nightingale, Communications Manager
Employers' Forum on Disability
Email: liz.nightingale@efd.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7403 3020
About Employers' Forum on Disability
Employers' Forum on Disability is the employers' organisation focused on disability as it affects employers and service providers. With over 400 members, EFD represents organisations that employ around 20 per cent of the UK workforce.Since its establishment in 1991, EFD has worked closely with government and other stakeholders, sharing best practice to make it easier to employ disabled people and serve disabled customers.