Employing people with a disability
The following information is provided courtesy of Diversity @ Work. For further information visit the Diversity at Work website
Types of disabilities:
- Physical disability which affects a person’s mobility or dexterity
- Intellectual or learning disability
- Psychiatric disability
- Neurological disability
- Sensory disability (Such as visual or hearing impairment)
- Physical disfigurement
Illnesses such as arthritis, back pain, asthma and depression can also be classified as disabilities.
Back to top
Facts about people with a disability:
- In 1998, 19% of Australians had a disability
- 15% of Australians of working age have a disability
- 3.2 million people say they are restricted in carrying out one or more daily activities, such as self care, mobility and communication
- 88% of disabilities are invisible
- People with a disability have a disposable income of $26 billion per annum
Back to top
How employing a person with a disability can help your company:
- People with a disability often make better employees.
- Around 19% of the Australian population, or nearly one in five people, have some form of disability. This figure represents around 3.5 million potential customers.
- 15% of Australians of working age have a disability. This represents over 1,000,000 people, yet only half of these are working.
- Employing people with a disability allows your business to reflect its customer base.
- 3.5 million Australians have a disability. World wide there are about 860 million people with a disability. In the USA, people with a disability have an aggregate income in excess of $1 Trillion.
- Research has shown that 52% of households pay more attention to advertising messages featuring people with a disability.
- Businesses that do not respond positively to the needs of people with a disability will inevitably lose market share while those that respond to the needs of this market will increase their share and opportunities.
Back to top
Employers have found that:
- 98% of employees with a disability rate average or better in work safety
- 90% of people with a disability rated average or better on job performance
- 86% of people with a disability rated average or better on attendance
- 90% of employers had no change in their insurance costs to employ people with a disability
- Staff retention rates for employees with a disability are 72% higher, saving millions of dollars each year in recruitment and training costs
- Employing people with a disability has a distinct, positive effect on staff morale
- 1 in 10 customers in Australia has a family member with a disability. Being seen as a business that is disability friendly can lead to increased sales. Pizza Hut recorded measurable sale increases after hiring over 14,000 people with a disability
Back to top
Why else ?
A culture of inclusion in your workplace leaves your organisation well placed to respond innovatively to the demands of Australia's diverse market.
Does your company include people with a disability as an EEO target group? A disability employment program allows you to recruit from the biggest pool of skills and talent.
Is your company accessing the full range of skilled candidates available? In Victoria and NSW around 14,000 people with a disability will obtain work over the next twelve months. This is a considerable resource of skilled and keen people ready and willing to work.
Back to top
FAQs
What types of jobs are/aren't suitable for people with a disability ?
People with a disability work successfully in a wide range of jobs and industries. As with other people, suitability for a particular job depends on the individual possessing the necessary skills, abilities and personal attributes. By using MatchWorks services you can assure that the right person is matched to the right job.
Will we be expected to spend more time training and supervising a person with a disability ?
All new employees require training. Sometimes, depending on the tasks they have been allocated, a person with a disability may need some extra assistance with initial training and on-the-job support. MatchWorks will recognise your time constraints and will provide a support worker to cover any extra training and supervision needs of the worker so that employers are not disadvantaged.
Will the work be up to standard ?
Jobseekers with a disability want, much the same as anyone else, a job in which they can take pride. Quality of work is as important to their reputation as it is to an employer's reputation. Training methods used by specialist agencies emphasise that the worker must learn to do the job to the required standard before learning to produce at full speed.
Will a person with a disability be able to perform complex tasks ?
It is a common myth that people with a disability are only able to perform simple, repetitive jobs. People with a disability work successfully in all areas of the workforce in manual and technical jobs, and in clerical and professional positions. Many are tertiary or trade qualified and hold senior managerial positions.
If required, using the on-the-job training provided by specialist agencies, enables complex jobs to be broken down into easy-to-teach and easy-to-learn steps to train the worker to your standards.
Will we have to redesign the workplace?
The vast majority of people with a disability in employment require no workplace modifications or job redesign. Where adjustments are required they are usually simple and inexpensive to make.
If a person requires modifications to the workplace to enable them to perform a job, up to $5,000 may be available from the Commonwealth Government, subject to meeting eligibility criteria.
In addition to structural alterations, this can include the purchase or hire of specific equipment or aids. A specialist workplace assessment may also be available to determine what might be necessary in the way of physical modifications or equipment. (See Employer Incentives: Workplace Modifications)
What questions can / can't I ask about a person's disability ?
During a formal job interview questions should be framed as for any other job applicant to ascertain the individual's ability to perform the essential requirements of the job. Questions relating to disability should only be asked in order to identify whether any adjustments will be required to assist the person to do the job. Inappropriate and unnecessary questioning may be in breach of the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act or state legislation.
How can we be sure that a person with a disability will 'fit in' ?
When you recruit through MatchWorks, we can look over the worksite and liaise closely with management and co-workers to ensure any concerns are dealt with before employment commences.
How should a person with a disability be treated at work ?
Treat a person with a disability with respect, as you would any other employee. This can include making sure they are included in workplace events and social events.
How will co-workers respond ?
If you have recruited your employee through MatchWorks, we will be happy to talk with co-workers. There are a number of Disability Awareness workshops and accredited Co-worker Training courses available.
What happens if it doesn't work out ?
MatchWorks value highly those employers who are prepared to give people with a disability a 'fair go' and will make every effort before, and during employment, to ensure that both employer and employee are happy. However, as with any employee, there will be occasions when things don't work out. In these situations your normal procedures for dealing with performance problems would apply.
Research shows that employees with a disability rated average or better on job performance, work safety, and attendance, plus there was no increase in compensation costs (Du Pont). It was also found that employees with a disability have a higher annual retention rate and a definite positive effect on staff morale (Pizza Hut). So the odds are that hiring a person with a disability will work out.
Back to top