Benefits of employing someone with a disability

WISE Employment is one of Australia’s most successful specialist employment services providers. Here are six facts that might surprise you about hiring staff with disability:

1. Disability is much more diverse than most employers imagine. It includes injuries, hearing and sight impairment, learning difficulties, long-term illness and other health conditions.
2. Chances are you already employ people with disability. Just fewer than one in five Australians have a disability. Over 2,000,000 Australians of working age have disability of some sort. They just don’t think of it that way because it generally doesn’t affect their work.
3. Employees with disability can improve your productivity. Employees with disability take fewer sick days, have fewer OH&S issues and are great role models for younger staff.
4. Staff with a disability are loyal. Spending time and money on training is an investment because businesses enjoy higher retention rates from employees with disability.
5. It’s all about ability. Like other job seekers, many people with disability have valuable skills, qualifications and experience. The key is matching the right person to the right job.
6. WISE Employment services are cost-free to employers. We are a not-for-profit organisation funded by the Australian Government to assist businesses under the Disability Employment Services and jobactive

More information: 8 tips for hiring people with disability

Register a job vacancy

Information sources:

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Disability, 2009.
2. Graffam et al. (2002a). Factors that influence employer decisions in hiring and retaining an employee with a disability.Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, Vol 17, pp. 175-181, IOS Press, Netherlands.