Frequently Asked Questions
Let us help dispel a few myths..... many employers already have employees with a disability within their workplace and may not be aware of it. There is a good business case for employing people with a disability - less time off, more likely to stay with an employer - so work with us to make your organisation disability confident!
What sort of additional costs would there be when employing a person with a disability?
In relation to the costs of workplace accommodations and adjustments, 65% of employers rated the financial effect to be cost neutral and 20% identified an overall cost benefit.
What effect will employing a person with a disability have on my workers compensation and safety record?
Employees with a disability average one sixth of recorded OH&S incidents of employees without a disability, and 98% of employees with a disability have an average or superior safety record to other employees.
Would there be additional sick leave that a person with a disability would require?
86% of employees with a disability have higher attendance records. A study conducted by Telstra Australia recorded that people with a disability average 4.1 years in a call centre to 3.2 years for a person without a disability. Over a 15 month period, employees with a disability had 11.8 days absent compared to employees without a disability who had 19.25 days absent.
What are the incentives to employing a person with a disability?
With specialised before and after placement support provided by a Disability Employment Service (DES), the average recruitment cost of an employee with a disability was 13% of the average recruitment cost of an employee without a disability. An additional incentive is that if an employee, due to their disability, is unable to meet the productivity levels, they may be eligible to be assessed under the Supported Wage Scheme. Contact the JobAccess Call Centre for information on your nearest Disability Employment Service 1800 464 800.
More Information
For general information about employing people with a disability, go to the Australian Government’s JobAccess website.
