Employees with disability

People with disabilities are an important part of the Australian labour market. They have a wide range of skills and frequently have significant job experience. Being able to utilise such skills and experience, particularly in the contemporary labour market, is very important to many businesses. And telework can help employers benefit from this potential.

Disability can take many forms but flexible work locations can be very helpful to many people with disabilities. Where employees have trouble with regular rush-hour commuting, for example, working away from the traditional office can be a solution. For other disabilities, including some mental conditions, the lower stress of working in a familiar environment is another advantage. Home offices can also provide people who have disabilities with better control of the work environment, making productive work easier than it can be in some offices.

There are many business benefits from employing people with disabilities. Such employees are known to be more reliable with lower absenteeism and staff turnover. Productivity does not suffer and many other employment costs are lower.

Where telework makes the employment of people with disabilities easier, the benefits to employers increase—without a major increase in employment related costs.

The Australian Government funds a range of employment services for people with a disability. Help is available at very stage in the process from preparing to look for work, searching for a job and, if needed, ongoing support in the workplace once employees have found a job. Help is provided not only to employees but also to employers.

While most people with disability are able to work effectively without any modifications to their workplace, for some a workplace that does not accommodate their needs is a barrier to work performance. With the Workplace Adjustment Tool, available through www.jobaccess.gov.au, employers are able to find ideas and solutions that can enable and support employees at work. A Workplace Modification Scheme is also available through this site. This scheme can provide funding to pay for any special equipment or adjustment that might be necessary. There is considerable flexibility to provide solutions that really meet the individual needs of workers and their employers. This assistance is available to teleworkers as well as to office-based workers.

A Supported Wage System is also available from Job Access, to supplement the salary of people with a disability who find it hard to get or keep a job because of their disability’s impact on work performance.