Many employers say that they’re open to hiring employees with disabilities - but how many backs this statement up with concrete action? It takes ongoing work to ensure that your company is genuinely inclusive. If you need help designing schedules that make sense for your entire team, including your employees who need reasonable accommodations, Shift Schedule Design can guide you! Furthermore, these tips will show you how to support employees with disabilities, from improving as a leader to enhancing your recruitment strategy.

Create an Inclusive Culture

A truly inclusive culture starts with the boss. Consider how you interact with your staff, and focus on cultivating healthy relationships with each employee. To become a better leader and bring out the best in your team, try to provide mentorship to young employees, listen closely when your team shares their opinions, and give them agency to tackle projects independently with your background guidance.

Provide Flexible Schedules

Lots of people with disabilities need flexible scheduling at work so that they can go to doctor’s appointments and avoid burnout. Furthermore, people with disabilities will often seek out employers that offer more paid time off. Make sure to review your benefits package and see if you could increase the amount of PTO you give to employees. You could also consider allowing employees to work remotely when possible.

Add Assistive Website Technology

Employers who want to recruit people with disabilities often don’t realize that the technology their company relies on isn’t necessarily accessible. For instance, it’s a good idea to update your website with assistive technology. JazzHR recommends adding alt-text descriptions to images on your website and using a theme and color scheme that meets readability standards.

Adapt Your Recruitment Process

Inclusion starts with recruitment. If you want to recruit employees with disabilities, TLNT recommends connecting with local high schools and colleges to establish pipelines between educational institutions and your workplace.

You can also develop a recruiting document for new applicants detailing how your company is going the extra mile to support employees with disabilities. If you want to create a PDF document, you can use a PDF editor to make changes if necessary. All you need to do is upload the file, edit it, then download and share it with your employees.

Provide Professional Development Opportunities

Workers with disabilities might find it harder to access professional development opportunities and often feel that able-bodied employees receive more investment from company leadership. It’s important to give employees with disabilities the resources they need to move up in the corporate world. This can start with specially structured internship programs. Furthermore, make sure to let employees with disabilities know about upcoming workshops, certification programs, and job openings that would be suited for them.

Budget for Reasonable Accommodations

Most people with disabilities will need some form of reasonable accommodations at work. As an employer, you are legally obligated to provide these accommodations - but by preparing your finances in advance, you can ensure that you won’t be caught off guard by any additional expenses. To account for reasonable accommodations in your budget, MIUSA recommends estimating an extra 3% to 5% for your total program costs and an extra 2% to 3% for your administrative costs.

Many people with disabilities struggle to find employers who genuinely understand their strengths. It isn’t easy for someone with a disability to find gainful employment. With these tips, you’ll be able to create a better workplace environment for your employees with disabilities, from updating your recruitment strategy to becoming a great mentor.

Want to implement a customized schedule that suits your team? Turn to Shift Schedule Design! Call us today at 415-717-3754 to get started.

Chelsea Lamb

Businesspop.net | chelsea@businesspop.net