It’s unfortunately true that individuals with disabilities have long faced discrimination in the job market. Despite the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, many people with disabilities face lower pay than their peers and fewer professional opportunities. However, it may be changing as employers realize that they’ve alienated a valuable part of the workforce. More companies are expressing support for workers with disability by recruiting these candidates and investing in their success.
Helping Individuals with Disabilities
Working with a disability may be difficult, but with the proper support, it’s possible. Employers should follow these five strategies for implementing disability-inclusive hiring practices.
Invest in Sensitivity Training
Even if an employer goes to great lengths to recruit and hire candidates with disabilities, the initiative is unlikely to succeed if the workplace environment is unwelcome. Companies need to ensure that the rest of their staff is on board with the effort. Also, they have to ensure that they are ready to partner with their new coworkers. Companies can invest in staffing workers compensation insurance and company-wide sensitivity training to achieve this. The training should give the staff the tools to treat their coworkers with disabilities with respect. Training should cover avoidance of inappropriate language, offering assistance effectively, and acting inclusively in the workplace.
Recruit and Hire the Best Candidates
Employers need to focus on recruiting and hiring the best candidates without considering their disability status. In many cases, companies may find that the best candidates also happen to be people with disabilities. But other businesses may pass on these same candidates. If you want to invest in your company’s success, look for the best job candidates. Then, give them the training and tools to succeed. The result will likely be a staff roster filled with skilled and competent people of various abilities and disabilities.
Provide Support to Staff With Disabilities
Though your staff members with disabilities are just as competent as others, they may need additional support with specific tasks. If a person with partial vision loss is working at a call center, they may need help seeing some aspects on a computer screen. A screen reader application may be able to offer a simple and effective solution so that this individual can work just as effectively as their colleagues.
Consider the Return on Investment
Research done at DePaul University reveals that employees with disabilities are less likely to be absent than their non-disabled counterparts. This data shows what many inclusive employers already know — staff members with disabilities are some of the most motivated, competent, and dedicated employees on the job market. Although inclusivity is its reward, this can translate to better returns for employers.
About World Wide Specialty Programs
For the last 50 years, World Wide Specialty Programs has dedicated itself to providing the optimal products and solutions for the staffing industry. As the only insurance firm to be an ASA commercial liability partner, we are committed to that partnership and committed to using our knowledge of the industry to provide staffing firms with the best possible coverage. For more information about Staffing Professional Liability Insurance or any other coverage, we have available to protect your staffing business, give us a call at (877) 256-0468 to speak with one of our representatives.