There is good news when it comes to inclusion of disability in work: employees today are mostly open to revealing their condition, a new survey shows. But when it comes to looking for accommodation from their bosses, they still fear judgment, rejection or discriminated against.
According to the new poll from a consulting company Deloittewhich surveyed 10,000 people with disabilities, chronic health conditions, or those who are neurodivergentbetween January and April 2024.
A high overall disclosure rate is a good thing, as it means more employees are willing to talk openly about their experiences in the workplace. But that doesn’t mean everyone isn’t worried about it. About 20% of people with disabilities say they are worried about being discriminated against by their supervisor if they find out, and 22% are worried about their career advancement be influenced if a superior or manager doubts their ability to do their job. And those feelings are valid. A surprising 41% of those surveyed say they have experienced bullying at work in the past 12 months. This is confirmed by other data; of the 110 lawsuits he filed Commission for Equal Employment Opportunities (EEOC) in 2024, nearly half (48 cases) fell under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
But fears among employees with disabilities are even greater when it comes to seeking a accommodation at the workplacewhich can include anything from creating alternative schedules to adjusting the noise level and lighting in the office. Of the people who discovered their disability at work, 75% did not ask their employer for accommodation. This may be due to their previous inability to obtain approval. A whopping 74% of respondents say they’ve had at least one inquiry rejected, and almost 20% say all official inquiries have been rejected. Of disabled employees whose requests were denied, 41% were told it was too expensive, 30% said it would be too tedious to implement, and 29% said it was simply unreasonable.
“Employees may not ask for accommodation because they automatically assume they won’t get it,” says Emma Codd, global head of diversity, equality and inclusion at Deloitte. Wealth. He notes that this is why it’s critical that HR teams inform people about how the accommodation process works and let them know what options are available.
Of course, there are ways to provide workers with flexibility at no cost to employers, such as offering telecommuting, alternative schedules, frequent breaks, or private workspaces. Those kinds of requests, Codd says, are often easier to get approved for that reason. However, employees with disabilities may be concerned that if they request a flexible work schedule, their lack of personal attendance may hold them back professionally.
Missing out on professional opportunities ranked highest (39%) as the reason these workers don’t want to work remotely, with 30% citing concerns about people thinking less of them for leaving the office. And about 60% of workers with disabilities say they couldn’t attend a work event because it wasn’t accessible, according to the study.
“These are really important events, the kind of moments that matter, that we’re talking about,” notes Codd. “That level of exclusion cannot be productive. It cannot be hired labor.”
Fortunately, there are ways HR managers can improve their company’s inclusion. When asked for their views on what employers could do better, almost a quarter (24%) of respondents noted that the workplace could be more physically accessible, followed by disability inclusion as a key priority discussed at board level (16%). Respondents also say that having a visible role model with a disability in their company would help foster a more inclusive culture, although, as the study points out, there are often few of them.
“It’s important for leaders to stand up and say, ‘I’m a person with a disability,'” says Codd. “Research shows how important it is to have access to role models, who are people with disabilities, chronic health conditions, or who are neurodivergent, to those who struggle with similar issues.”
Brit Morse
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Today’s edition was prepared by Emma Burleigh.
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The Biden administration is working to repeal a statute that for decades allowed companies to pay their disabled employees below the minimum wage. The New York Times
Walmart recently became the largest retailer to drop from the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index due to its opposition to the conservative-led “revival.” NBC news
Agricultural giant Cargill will lay off 5% of its global workforce, amounting to about 8,000 employees, as the company faces pressure on crop prices and beef supply. WSJ
Some frustrated LinkedIn job seekers offer cash rewards, use “desperate” profile banners, and make themselves vulnerable to try to attract new opportunities. The Washington Post
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