A disability is labeled as one which substantially limits one or more major life activities of the affected individual- it could either be because of mental or physical impairment. And to enjoy the best quality of life that they can, to make the most out of their situation, disabled persons generally have adjustments to make in their life. One of those modifications includes their job.
With technology assisting disabled persons and inclusiveness now becoming a norm in society, it’s no longer a strange sight to have persons with disabilities across all different types of jobs. In fact, many employers are investing in the right tools and individuals to enable a smooth recruiting, hiring, and onboarding process to have and include them as a part of their team.
So, what should an employer know before hiring a disabled person? Here’s a list.
Federal And State Tax Incentives May Be Available To You
Depending on where your business is located, the local government of some states recognizes the benefits of hiring people with disabilities in your company. This means you may be eligible to receive financial incentives and tax deductions.
The laws can differ, so it’s best to check on what applies in your state or nation. You can also seek legal advice from New York SSD lawyers, among other firms, to know more.
Fostering An Inclusive Company Culture Can Be A Good Starting Point
While it is true that more and more companies are now promoting an inclusive culture, hiring people with disabilities to be part of your team would generally need a bit more preparation. It’d be worth noting that inclusivity doesn’t just start and end with getting people with disabilities on board. You’d also have to make them feel they belong, they have a voice, and that their contribution to the organization matter and are valued.
And so, before you jump right into the hiring process, it’s essential for your team members to understand what it’s like to work with employees with disabilities. You’d have to promote and nurture a work environment where respect, empathy, and healthy team collaboration thrive. In addition, you could also make a few physical modifications to your office space to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities once they’re on board.
Provide Easy Access For All In Your Workplace
Aside from ensuring you have an inclusive community to welcome employees with disabilities, it’s also essential that you make the necessary modifications to your office space to accommodate their needs once they’re on board. After all, you’d want them to enjoy equal access to company tools.
Have a sit-down meeting with your team once the notion of hiring workers with disabilities comes in. Take this as the opportunity to discuss what needs to be changed, modified, and added to make your workplace conducive to everyone in the organization. For instance, the ease of accessibility to and from their desk. Ensure a smooth and unobstructed flow that would allow them to move around the office without difficulty.
Benefits From Hiring People With Disabilities Can Be Expected
It can be rewarding for businesses to consider welcoming people with disabilities as a part of their workforce. The truth is, for as long as the impairment doesn’t hamper the employee’s ability to function well for a certain position, then there’s no reason why they should be given fewer career opportunities.
In fact, hiring employees with disabilities can also set businesses in a window of so many benefits to receive.
To motivate employers, some of those benefits include:
- It may increase your profit margin: Employee retention in companies that employ people with disabilities may be higher. This is partly due to the fact that employees with disabilities tend to get content, pleased, and happy to be accepted into a job they may have never thought they’d get to do. And in effect, this can increase your profit margin when day-to-day operations aren’t affected by fast and high employee turnovers.
- It diversifies your company culture: There’s so much to learn and experience from a diverse community in the workplace. The value brought in by employees with disabilities goes way far beyond profit, as they can also bring a unique perspective, which may help improve innovation, and in turn, could lead to a more diverse company culture where learning thrives.
Workers Compensation And Insurance Rates
Perhaps, it’s a common notion to think that hiring employees with disabilities also equates to higher insurance and workers’ compensation rates for employers. However, this statement isn’t necessarily true.
Workers’ compensation and insurance rates are generally dependent on the relative hazards of the workplace and not the workers’ disability- the higher the hazard, the higher the insurance rate. For example, manufacturing businesses with a factory or production plant may have higher insurance rates than those with an office setting.
Conclusion
As an employer, hiring persons with disabilities is a commendable act. It shows your commitment to inclusiveness and diversity. There are also so many benefits employers can gain from hiring them to give them a competitive edge.
But before jumping right into it, however, there’s a lot that employers have to know first about hiring disabled persons. And hopefully, the information above can give you a good start.