"Without reporting, they are less likely to have the evidence that shows what their needs are and how they can really make a difference in the lives of their employees who live with a disability day-in, day-out."
- Katharine Moxham, Spokesperson for GRiD
Despite the Office of National Statistics (ONS) revealing that there are over 5m people with disabilities in the workplace, Group Risk Development (GRiD) has found 50% of employers don’t yet report on the number of people with disabilities that they employ.
Although this is a minor improvement on the 46% of employers who were reporting on disabilities on the workplace last year, GRiD believes that with mandatory reporting on the cards for larger corporates, it’s a good idea for all employers to start now.
With various ‘non-visible’ disabilities such as diabetes, mental health issues, visual and hearing impairments, and cancer, and some employees preferring to be discreet about their disability, under-reporting is common. Consequently, GRiD warns that it’s important that employers collecting data tread carefully as it’s not mandatory for employees to tell their employer about their disability.
Of those who report on the number of people with disabilities that they employ, 45% do so to inform diversity and inclusion (D&I) practices and initiatives, while 41% use these figures to inform recruitment practice. 45% use the data to track progress made on their D&I initiatives and 34% do so to inform talent management practice.
GRiD highlights that group risk can provide support for both employers and their staff. Services include legal and human resources helplines to support physical, financial, and mental wellbeing. Group Income Protection (IP) also includes access to vocational rehabilitation experts for advice and support with making reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act.
Commenting on these findings, Katharine Moxham, Spokesperson for GRiD, has said:
“It’s good to see a growing number of employers being transparent and getting a better grasp of the number of people in their organisation with a disability. This will undoubtedly enable them to support this group of employees better and ensure they have relevant employee benefits and workplace initiatives in place.”
Moxham continues: “We would encourage employers to make an informed decision now that it is in the best interests of their employees. Without reporting, they are less likely to have the evidence that shows what their needs are and how they can really make a difference in the lives of their employees who live with a disability day-in, day-out.”
