Workplaces often expect hard work from their employees, but what does that look like for those of us managing life with disabilities?
According to Coqual, formerly Center for Talent Innovation, 30 percent of college-educated employees report having a disability. An even more revealing statistic shows that of that 30 percent, a whopping sixty-two percent have invisible disabilities.
Invisible disabilities, or hidden disabilities, can range from psychiatric disorders like major depression and bipolar disorder to eating disorders. These disabilities are defined by effects on an individual that is not immediately apparent to others, which can be especially difficult to navigate in work settings.
That’s where employee morale comes into question. Company culture heavily influences employee morale, but without an in-depth understanding of the role accessibility plays in any work environment, employers and companies may be missing out on their worker’s optimal performance.
Popular assumptions about disabilities made in the workplace
There aren’t many people with disabilities at your company
Though most companies give potential employees a chance to disclose their disabilities during the hiring process, it is relatively common for employees to avoid disclosing hidden disabilities to their employers. Only 39% of employees with disabilities disclosed to their manager, and even fewer to their teams and human resources.
Such a disparity is partially due to fear of discrimination as a result of such disclosure. The Americans with Disabilities Act, passed in 1990, explicitly prohibits disability-based discrimination, but company cultures and work environments that promote conformity and compliance can lead to employee hesitations. For example, an employee with diabetes may hesitate to check their blood sugar during lunch break, despite a doctor’s order, due to a strenuous work environment that encourages skipping lunch.
If that employee worked in an environment that encouraged leaving one’s desk during lunch breaks, they would not need to disclose their disability to have their needs met.
An accessible work environment goes beyond individual cases to encourage flexibility in working styles for all employees by prioritizing the well-being of its workers rather than worker productivity.
Employees with disabilities cannot do their jobs as well as employees without disabilities
This misconception lies in the assumption that people with disabilities cannot do the same work as individuals without disabilities based on the ways they move differently in the world due to their disability. It’s important to understand that all qualified individuals, by definition, are capable of efficient work.
According to Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act:
The term "qualified individual " means an individual who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of the employment position that such individual holds or desires.
As shown here, as long as reasonable accommodations are met when necessary, there should be no workplace distinction between individuals with disabilities and those without disabilities.
It is illegal for businesses with 15 or more employees to discriminate against a qualified individual. However, uninformed or ill-informed companies that do not fully consider accessibility when cultivating their office culture may unwittingly discourage those with disabilities to apply. Beyond the hiring process, if reasonable accommodations are not easily and accessibly met, that may hinder an individual’s work ethic as well. These factors further explain the significant gap in unemployment rates in the United States for those with disabilities versus those who are not disabled.
Accommodating people with disabilities is not worth the time or money
Prioritizing the well-being of all employees actually benefits any company’s bottom line.
Not only is hiring people with disabilities worth the investment but it has also actually been proven to increase company profit margins. A 2018 Accenture study showed that companies actively seeking to hire people with disabilities had revenues 28% higher on average than companies that did not.
Among other benefits of diversifying a workforce include reduced turnover rates, diversity in perspectives, and most notably, increased productivity.
A new study titled Inclusive Manufacturing: The Impact of Disability Diversity on Productivity in a Work Integration Social Enterprise showed that productivity increased when the number of workers with disabilities on a team increased. This shift may be accredited to not just the diversity in talent, but also the company’s overall consideration of how assessability plays a role, which benefits all workers, not just those that have disclosed their disabilities.
Employee morale Is a snowball effect
When it comes to creating a productive work environment, employee morale works like a snowball effect. This is true for teams within companies working on a particular project together, and individuals within the workspace whose tasks do not directly impact one another. All employees contribute to the culture of a company and should be treated the same.
The fact is, cultivating an environment that promotes the well-being of all employees benefits the company at large. Being well informed about accessibility for all is the start to any company’s boosted employee morale.
Comments