HR’s Role in Managing Disability in the Work Place

26 July 2016Saro Maria Hotel

Addis Ababa

Kebede Kedir, Admin and Finance Manager, ECDD

Outline• Introduction• HR Policies on Disability• Employing Persons With Disabilities• Reasonable Accommodations• Legal & Policy Frameworks• Advantages of recruiting PWDs• ECDD HR Policy & practices on recruiting

PWDs• Challenges on recruiting professional PWDs• Discussions points

Introduction• Persons with disability are individuals whose

prospects of securing, returning to, retaining and advancing in suitable employment are substantially reduced as a result of a duly recognized physical, sensory, intellectual or mental impairment.

• People with disabilities still represent a largely untapped employment resource in workplaces, often being unemployed or greatly underemployed compared with their non-disabled peers.

• As Persons with disabilities (differently abled persons) may just have the skills and competencies we require within our organization, it is important to consider how our organization can tap these under utilized potential sources.

HR Policies on Disability• HR Policies and Procedures supporting Diversity & Anti-

discrimination on Employment clearly state that “No discrimination should be made based on the race, ethnic, age, sex, colour, religion, political, marital and disability status of the candidates”;

• But there is a positive/affirmative actions for PWDs to deliberately favor to the recruitment of PWDs. (Refer article 4 (2) of Proc. No. 568/2008)

• Disability Management is managing various disabilities & related issues in the workplaces, by adopting a strategy for managing disability as an integral part of the overall Employment Policy and specifically as part of the Human Resource Development Strategy.

Employing Persons With Disabilities• To ensure effective recruitment, integration, and

accommodation of persons with disabilities, top management must affirm and effectively communicate the importance of recruiting and retaining persons with disabilities.

• Pre-employment tests and selection criteria should focus on the specific skills, knowledge and abilities regarded as essentials to the functions of the vacant job in a proper format which is accessible to the disabled applicants.

• Selection criteria should be carefully examined to ensure that they do not inadvertently exclude persons with disabilities.

Employing Persons With Disabilities, contd.• Once the recruitment of a person with disability has

taken place, follow-ups may be important in ensuring that any problem which may arise are swiftly identified and resolved.

• The performance appraisal of workers with disabilities should take place according to the same criteria applied to the same or similar job holders

• Workers with disabilities should be afforded equal opportunities with other workers at the workplace to acquire the skills and experience necessary to advance in their careers & should be encouraged to apply for promotion, particularly where it appears that they may be reluctant to do so, because of an impairment or other obstacle arising from their disability, or perceived obstacles in their working environment.

Employing Persons With Disabilities, contd.• Where employers are not immediately in a position to

employ a disabled worker, they could consider providing work experience opportunities as a volunteer or intern to jobseekers with disabilities, to enable them to acquire the skills, knowledge and work attitude required for specific jobs in the workplace.

• Such workplace-based experience can help make the jobseeker’s skills more relevant to the employer’s requirements.

• It also provides the opportunity for an employer to gauge a disabled worker’s abilities and capacity, and perhaps to consider recruitment once the training period has been completed.

Reasonable Accommodations• In offering a job to a disabled candidate, the employer

should make reasonable disability-related accommodations or adjustments to the working environment.

Reasonable accommodations which employers should consider when employing PWDs:• Modification works on existing facilities including vehicle,• Assigning assistants, Providing assistive devices or

equipments, and • Flexibility in the application of HR Policies - by restructuring

some part of the policy, like -• On the criteria of selection by adopting Affirmative Actions, • On the benefit packages for PWDs, • On the working hours, etc.

Legal and Policy Frameworks

• The disability management strategy should be formulated in accordance with the national legislation, policy and practice, taking in to account the national institutions and organizations in the field.

• The Government of Ethiopia has adopted and implemented a number of laws, policies and standards pertaining to people with disabilities, including their right to productive and decent work: some of which are-

Legal and Policy Frameworks Cont’d• Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of

Ethiopia, o Adopted in 1995. Article 41(5) of the Constitution sets

out the State’s responsibility for the provision of necessary rehabilitation and support services for people with disabilities,

• Proclamation concerning the Rights to Employment for Persons with Disabilities, No. 568/2008,

• Makes null and void any law, practice, custom, attitude and other discriminatory situations that limit equal opportunities for persons with disabilities. It also requires employers to provide appropriate working and training conditions,

Legal and Policy Frameworks Cont’d• The Federal Civil Servant Proclamation No. 515/2007,

provides for special preference in theo Recruitment, promotion, and deployment, among others,

of qualified candidates with disabilities (for gov’t offices).• Labour Proclamation, No. 377/2003, amended by

Labour Proclamation No. 494/2006, makeso It unlawful for an employer to discriminate against

workers on the basis of nationality, sex, religion, political outlook or on any other conditions.

• Building Proclamation, No. 624/2009, provides for accessibility in the design and construction of

o Any building to ensure suitability for physically impaired persons.

Advantages of recruiting PWDs

• Job retention - minimal rate of staff turnover. Once employed, they are not jumping here & there by searching for vacancies,

• Effective, responsible, committed and productive on discharging their part & feel belongingness,

• Employers gain additional income & Social Values,

• Beneficiaries salary is considered as program cost for the employers (applicable for NGOs)

• VAT exempted if more than 60% of the total staffs are PWDs

ECDD’s HR Policy & Recruiting practices of PWDs • Employment Policy– o Affirmative action – vacancy is announced as “PWDs are

highly encouraged to apply” & preferential selection of PWD candidate will be made if the result of the test/interview is equal or closer to the ND candidate.

• Disability Accommodationo ECDD meets the costs of reasonable accommodations

(accessible transportation or special transportation arrangement, sign language interpreter, special computer hardware or software, materials and documents in Braille or electronic format, etc.) as required to enable any full-time or part-time employee, intern, volunteer or temporary contractor to perform the tasks for which they are assigned.

ECDD’s HR Policy & Recruiting practices, cont’d

• Refund of Medical Expense & assistive deviceso In addition to refund of medical expenses, ECDD

also meets the cost of individual assistive devices such as hearing aids, canes and crutches, braces and other orthopedic appliances, wheelchairs, and other individual needs at a reasonable cost up to a certain limit stated in the manual.

Challenges on recruiting PWDs• Even though ECDD is applying the affirmative

actions, it is difficult to screen PWDs based on their applications as they are not mentioning their disability status on their application letter or CV.

• Some PWDs are seen when they come for interview or tests after being selected based on their profession & experience.

• During the interview, When they are asked the reason for not men mentioning their disability status, their response is that due to the fear that the employers will disqualify them immediately.

Discussion Points• Why are organizations not willing that much to

recruit PWDs?o To avoid cost of accommodations?o Due to lack of awareness that they are equally

productive as their peer NDs?• Why don’t they think about the Loss of Income &

the Social Value which could be earned from the Participation of PWDs?

• What type of disability could be ‘discriminated’ from which nature of jobs? Can it be considered as ‘discrimination?’ - refer article 3 of Proc. No. 586/2008- Right to Employment of PWDs

.

Thank you