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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Information sources:
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Disability, 2009.
- 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.
