Disabled Employees

Topic: A recent article described disabled workers as "the overlooked labour force." Given the need for skilled knowledge workers, examine the advantages and disadvantages of hiring disabled employees. Offer recommendations.

Labour shortages are common in today's society. Employers are having difficulty finding people who are willing to work, making it even harder to find skilled, knowledgeable workers. With the lack of skilled knowledgeable workers, employers are turning to people with disabilities, the overlooked labour force, in an attempt to hire employees. Due to the shortage of labour in Alberta, people with disabilities can capitalize on Alberta's labour market. Hiring people with disabilities is a risk that comes with advantages and disadvantages.

There are many advantages to hiring people with disabilities. People with disabilities desire to be self-supporting because they rely greatly on the support of friends, family, and caregivers. This desire leads to punctuality in the workplace, greater attention to detail, and a strong work ethic. People with disabilities are honored to have a job and thus often make more of an effort to be in work on time. In the human body, the loss of one ability means the enhancement of another ability which can benefit a workplace by capitalizing on the strengths of individuals. Disabled workers are at a disadvantage and have a strong desire to prove themselves at the workplace increasing their effectiveness in the workplace. Employees with disabilities strive to be seen as equals in the workplace and hiring them can benefit an organization greatly.

Hiring people with disabilities brings more to the table than just production benefits alone. Companies receive tax breaks from the government for hiring people with disabilities. The money saved can be used to better the business or be considered straight profit. A company's reputation is enhanced once it is known that it employs people with disabilities. By employing disabled workers, you can claim you are an equal-opportunity employer; this looks good in the public eye. Customers with disabilities, their friends, and families represent a large market segment. Hiring people with disabilities allows you access to this market and the profits that follow. Hiring people with disabilities presents a profitable business opportunity while increasing public relations.

There are also disadvantages to hiring people with disabilities. The largest task an employer faces when hiring a person with disabilities is to accommodate to the point of undue hardship. Accommodating for people with disabilities can be costly and time consuming. If you fail to accommodate to the point of undue hardship, legal actions can be taken against you. To avoid discriminating against disabled employees, employers must spend time and money to reasonably accommodate disabled employees.

Disabled