Managing disability in the workplace
An estimated 12% of our population consists of persons with a disability. Employers and persons with disabilities need to work together to overcome issues that obstruct access to work and find solutions for employees who return to the workplace after an injury or illness.
Internationally there is an increased focus on improving access to work for persons with disability. South Africa has a world-class code of good practice, attached to the Employment Equity Act, on how to integrate persons with disability in the workplace.
"When employers provide suitable work opportunities, persons with disability can add valuable skills and experience to the workplace," says John Kotze, head of Group Assurance at Old Mutual South Africa. "Contributing to the economy of our country will also reduce the isolation and financial hardship that this group often experiences.
"It is important to match the job and the person with the disability. Apart from checking that the person has the correct qualifications, the employer should establish the need for adjustments to the work environment, task or work hours."
Inexpensive solutions
Many employers mistakenly believe that such accommodation for persons with disabilities is expensive. In a recent American study of 778 employers, it was found that:
*In 50.5% of cases, reasonable accommodation was done at no cost
*In 42% of cases, there was an average once-off cost equal to 1.25% of the employee's annual salary
*In 7.5% of the cases, there was an average annual cost equal to 1% of the employee's annual salary
Case study
In a local case an experienced employee was diagnosed with an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. He became very anxious at work and needed to double-check his work all the time, which slowed him down considerably. The solution was simple, yet effective - a checklist that he could tick off as he worked through each task so that he could move to the next task with confidence.
The cost of this accommodation was only the cost of the consultation with an occupational therapist that specialises in work rehabilitation. For such a small investment, the employee became fully productive and able to perform the job on the same level as other workers.
In fact, employers often find that such simple accommodations can also be used to great effect by other employees, thus increasing the overall productivity of the team. Performance management and further training should be the same for all employees.
Paradigm shift
According to Kotze, an employers' approach to disability should be aligned with the code of good practice, which underlines that persons with disabilities are just like us and have the same rights.
"For many people, this will require a paradigm shift as persons with disability have historically been excluded from participation in society. They had limited access to transport, education and training, and were not integrated into the everyday activities of society.
"When existing employees become disabled, the code says that employers should seek to minimize the impact of disability on employees so that they are not compelled or encouraged to terminate their employment.
Disability is a natural part of the human experience and in no way diminishes the rights of individuals to belong and contribute to the labour market."
