Edinburgh Employment Law Blog

For advice on all aspects of employment law, contact us today.

  • Home
    Home This is where you can find all the blog posts throughout the site.
  • Categories
    Categories Displays a list of categories from this blog.
  • Tags
    Tags Displays a list of tags that have been used in the blog.
Posted by on in Discrimination
  • Font size: Larger Smaller
  • Hits: 1700
  • 0 Comments

Disabled people still disadvantaged in the workplace

A new report from the Equality and Human Rights Commission has found that, while supporting disabled workers can greatly benefit employers and their organisations, disabled people continue to be put at a disadvantage in the workplace.

Although more than one in five adults are disabled, only half are likely to be in work, compared to four fifths of non-disabled adults. Those who are able to secure employment are often not able to realise their full potential as they don’t receive the support they need from employers.

Barriers to appropriate support also means that one disabled person in six loses their job in the first year after acquiring an impairment, more than doubling two years later.

The report, “A Perfect Partnership,” says that closing these employment gaps between disabled workers and non-disabled workers can increase the performance of all staff across the board and benefit employers and employees alike.

There are also wider benefits for the economy when disabled people are in work, with a reduced reliance on State benefits, and the talent pool is broadened simply by supporting disabled people to work. 

Recommendations from the report include:

  • Flexible and modern ways of working including changes to traditional working hours and locations.
  • Professional bodies should find ways of updating professional qualifications for disabled people and people with long term health conditions.
  • Training and guidance for managers who need the skills and confidence to manage disability in the workplace.
  • Offering support and adjustments at the recruitment stage without seeking information on disability.

 

Comments

Contact Us

Invalid Input
Invalid Input
Invalid Input
Invalid Input
What type of help do you need? Invalid Input

Pick tick to confirm you have read this.
Anti-spam Verification(*)
Invalid Input