Disability support - business value
A pro-active, constructive approach to managing disability involves discriminating only on grounds that are objectively established, fair and equitable. This approach is necessary legally in order to avoid indirect and inadvertent kinds of unfair discrimiantion. Failing to comply with your responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act can have severe negative consequences. Litigation is complex and costly. And the damage to your reqputation as an employer may be equally so.
Assessing both jobs and individuals
Fair discrimination in employment starts with recruitment and selection. We help with the processes of analysing work and jobs, specifiying the essential requiements for them and in objective methods of selectioi that will stand up to legal challenge. We can both advise on your approach and help you to design and carry out selection to the required standards.
Adapting physical and virtual environments
You may face some tricky questions about how to adapt the physical environment for a disabled employee or candidate so that he/she can function safely. Before reaching a decision that it's not possible to make the necessary phsyical and other changes, you are legally required to document an assessment of risks to the safety of a disabied individual.
We can help you to do this in an objective manner, to the standards required of legislation about disability discrimination and about employee safety and health at work.
This means being clear-sighted and practical. For example, by using relevant statistical data on the measurements of the arms, legs and torso of the smallest 5% of females and of the 95% of largest males in the UK population, you can design-in necessary adjustments to almost all furniture, equipment and handtools you are likely to use.
Coaching is advisable
Neither indivduals with disabilities nor their work contexts come in standard packages. Both have to be adapted to the range of demands of safe work requirements and to the individual's strengths and limitations.
Through ergonomic assessment, we match work situations to immediate needs of the person as well as to his/her foreseeable needs as the situation changes. Equally important, we provide the guidance and counselling the person needs in order to manage the anxieties normal after difficult transition. Where need be, we are also pleased to coach the line manager about options for best integating the individual into a work team without undue stress.
