An employer’s guide to supporting disabled staff

In the UK, 24% of working aged people are considered disabled. However, only 54% of those are in employment compared to the 82% of non-disabled people. Disabled people also face a 17.2% pay gap compared to their non-disabled counterparts. While initiatives such as the Disability Confident scheme and the move towards remote and hybrid working have successfully engaged employers and improved opportunities for disabled people, the Better Hiring Institute (BHI) is calling for further action to address the continuing disparities.

As we approach the 30th anniversary of the UK’s Disability Discrimination Act, the BHI has published guidance on ensuring fairness in the workplace for disabled people (the Guidance). The Guidance addresses the current barriers faced in employment and suggests practical steps that can be taken to address them.

Key barriers to employment

There are various obstacles disabled people face when it comes to getting into and remaining in employment. The Guidance identifies the following as key barriers:

• Inaccessible workplaces and transport: Inaccessible office environments and transportation to and from work are, in many cases, not suitable for disabled people. Offering remote working can help remove this barrier.
• Inflexible working hours: Many disabled people have a dynamic disability which affects them differently day to day. Workplaces with strict hours and schedules can prevent them from remaining in employment. Greater flexibility may be required to help them manage their condition and so help their employer meet its objectives.
• Lack of disability awareness: A persistent issue faced by disabled people is that both managers and colleagues often lack understanding of the challenges faced and how to best support affected employees.
• The cost of disability: Applying for a job often involves using technology to search and apply for roles and travelling for interviews. This can often disadvantage disabled people who face lower income and significant costs as a result of their disability.
• Employer accountability and priorities: Many workplace initiatives supporting disabled people are not included as part of company strategy but rather corporate social responsibility.
• Myths and misconceptions: Employers, like much of the population, often believe myths around hiring disabled people such as that making reasonable adjustments is expensive and that disabled people take more time off work.
• Education: Many disabled people face challenges early on in life which affect their ability to access education fairly and can adversely affect them in the process of obtaining employment.
• Pay gaps and lack of reporting: The absence of mandatory disability pay gap reporting means inequalities often go unaddressed or, even worse, unnoticed.
• Lack of clarity in job adverts: While many employers are disability-friendly, this is not always easily identifiable in job adverts, presenting an additional barrier in the search for suitable employment.
• Immigration policy: If a legal migrant becomes disabled before full residency in the UK and cannot meet their original job terms, their visa may be revoked, with only 60 days to find a similar role. This is often without support or consideration for their new health requirements.

What can employers do?

The Guidance calls for systemic change to properly address some of the employment barriers faced by disabled people. Absent more fundamental shifts, the Guidance highlights some practical steps that employers can proactively take to ensure their workplace is inclusive.

• Assess and address barriers: Employers may benefit from carrying out an initial review of their workplace and the potential barriers faced by disabled people in both gaining and remaining in employment. It would be important to cover recruitment, onboarding and
  day-to-day work, while also actively seeking feedback from disabled employees to ensure that all relevant input is considered.
• Make job adverts inclusive: Ensure job adverts are clear, accessible, inclusive and cover all key information. Explicitly encouraging applications from disabled candidates can help ensure that the advert can be easily identified as an appropriate opportunity for disabled candidates.
• Offer reasonable adjustments: Reasonable adjustments should be considered on an individual basis, working with the employee or candidate. These adjustments can often be easily implemented and cost-effective, such as holding virtual interviews, allowing flexible working or providing specialist equipment to reduce the disadvantage a disabled individual may otherwise suffer.
• Embrace digital processes: Where possible, offering digital recruitment and onboarding processes will often help to remove physical barriers and increase accessibility. However, it should be remembered that this may not always be appropriate for all disabilities, so it is still important to consider whether particular reasonable adjustments may be necessary in the specific circumstances, as suggested above.
• Train managers and staff: Periodic disability training for all staff can ensure that every employee is aware of the challenges faced by and how best to support disabled colleagues. For larger companies with a higher turnover of staff, this training should be offered more frequently to ensure that training is up to date and relevant.
• Go beyond compliance: Employers should actively engage with schemes, such as Disability Confident, and volunteer to report on disability employment and pay gaps. In doing so, employers will be holding themselves accountable, recognising any issues that may need to be addressed and be able to better support their disabled employees.
• Review language and policies: Consider the language used in policies and communications, as using terms such as “disclose a disability” can carry negative connotations. Instead, try to create a positive culture in which employees feel comfortable being transparent about their disabilities, the challenges these may create and the adjustments that will better support them in their role.

The Guidance emphasises the need for senior leadership to lead the way for change and that diversity, equality and inclusion should be prioritised as a core business strategy. By taking proactive steps now, rather than waiting for systemic change, BHI hopes that employers can contribute to closing the disability employment gap and so make the workplace a positive space for disabled employees to thrive. In doing so, employers will also benefit from attracting and retaining top talent that may otherwise be underutilised.