Leadership

Irish Life wins global award for jargon-free language

08.12.2009
Irish Life has been named as the best company in the world for using jargon-free language in an award chosen by the UK’s Plain English campaign.

The insurer was chosen personally by Chrissie Maher OBE, who is the founder of the Plain English Campaign, an independent, internationally recognised group based in the UK which lobbies governments and businesses to remove gobbledygook, jargon and legalese from public information.

The award acknowledges the organisation that Maher believes is the best overall at plain English and crystal-clear communication during her 40 years of campaigning.

Irish Life was chosen ahead of 12,000 organisations from a wide range of backgrounds and industry sectors located in over 80 countries across the world.

Presenting the special award to Irish Life, Maher said: “In my 40 years of campaigning, Irish Life has stood out for giving clear, honest and straightforward information to their customers.

“I have seen Irish Life’s determination to get it right and the struggles to find a balance between what the legal advisors say and what customers want and need from a service they can understand and trust.

“I believe Irish Life has managed to balance both sides very well. It has set the standard for all organisations,” Maher added.

The Chief Executive of Irish Life Retail Gerry Hassett said he was honoured to accept the award on behalf of the staff at Irish Life: “Winning the Chrissie Maher Plain English 30th Anniversary Award is a huge honour for everyone in Irish Life. In particular we’re very proud as an Irish company to be independently recognised in this way, not just against leading organisations in the UK but from right across the world.

“We’re absolutely committed to giving our customers clear and concise information. So the real satisfaction for us in winning this award is that we think it shows we are going in the right direction.”

DAA gets Golden Bull award
In contrast, the Dublin Airport Authority was the recipient of a ‘Golden Bull’ Award, the category for the year's 'best'examples of gobbledygook.

The DAA received the award for a 109-word clause in a contractor’s agreement which goes on for seven and half lines long without a full stop: “Neither the execution and delivery by the Consultant of this Agreement nor the consummation by it of any of the transactions contemplated hereby, requires, with respect to it, the consent or approval of the giving of notice to, the registration with, the recording or filing of any document with, or the taking of any other action in respect of any government authority, except such as are not yet required (as to which it has no reason to believe that the same will not be readily obtainable in the ordinary course of business upon due application therefore) or which have been duly obtained and are in full force and effect.”

The Plain English Awards took place in London with comedian Lenny Henry hosting the ceremony.