Going back to work with a disability can be daunting, but it can also be looked at in another way. One cannot deny that returning to the workplace while disabled can work as a great self-confidence booster and a self-supporting experience. A disabled employee can bring with himself a plethora of ideas, vigor, talent and skills, just like any regular employee can.
Organizations need to sensitize their staff regarding working with employees who might be facing a certain level mental or physical limitation due to whatever reason. Given the right kind of work environment, a disabled employee can prove to be as capable as any other employee.
While it might not be easy for regular staff to work with a disabled colleague, it is important to remember that the situation is probably tougher for the latter as he needs to perform his duties with new limitations that he himself might be grappling to adjust to. Hence, it is crucial that organizations go the extra mile in helping the disabled employee feel accepted and comfortable at his workplace.
Although disabled staff do not expect any sort of partial behavior from their employer towards them, they do look forward to certain disability-friendly arrangements being made so that they can single-mindedly focus on their work.
Mentioned below are some of the ways in which organizations can meet the expectations of disabled staff returning to work.
Support And Encouragement
Showing your support and encouragement to the employee for coming back to work despite difficulties will go a long way in lifting your employee’s morale. Acknowledge that it hasn’t been an easy time for him and reassure him that his decision of returning back to work is the right one and you are happy to have him back. Make sure that you brief the rest of the staff of the changes in the office to support the employee’s return beforehand to ensure their cooperation. Foster a caring and supportive environment that is thoughtful of the needs of disabled people.
Workplace Accommodations
Communicate with your employee on a regular basis and find out about which suitable workplace accommodations you need to bring in place. Maybe it is a special kind of chair he needs or a reserved parking space. Workplace facilities like adaptive office equipment and furniture, wheelchair or a motorized scooter can also greatly benefit disabled employees.
Other accommodations may include flexi-timings, travel assistance, reduced number of hours on site, work-from-home options, part-time work options, private resting area, and so on.
The Department of Social Protection offers a number of grants and support schemes to employers who have a disabled member of the staff returning to work or if they have to hire new staff with a disability.
Employee Benefits
Make sure that your employee is able to retain his health and disability insurance and derive their benefits without having to undergo long troublesome processes. Besides the insurance, a disabled employee may also be entitled to certain social security benefits provided he meets certain criteria laid out by the scheme. Keeping and availing such benefits might be important while he is still recovering as they help him financially, as well as have a positive psychological impact on him and his family.
Fair And Equal Treatment
As per the US labor laws, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 “prohibits federal contractors and subcontractors from discriminating against and requires affirmative action for qualified individuals with disabilities in all aspects of employment.”
According to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, “discrimination on the basis of disability in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance and in federally conducted programs” is illegal.
Additionally, Section 188 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) prohibits “discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities in any WIA Title I-financially assisted program or activity.”
In addition to the fact that it is the requirement of the law that you treat your disabled employee fairly, you must also ensure to create a work culture where just and equal treatment is meted out to him by everyone.
Counselling
An employer cannot expect an employee to be fully fit when he resumes work while still recovering from an injury. It would be good to have a counsellor in the organization with whom the employee can talk about his problems and look for possible solutions. Such talks can work as good motivators for an employee who might be experiencing difficulty in coming to terms with his limitations.
To Conclude
The employer and the disabled employee need to work hand-in-glove if they want to create a healthy and disability-friendly working environment that is mutually beneficial. The employer must see to it that the employee is able to adjust to the workplace, while the employee must ensure that he does not take undue advantage of the facilities provided to him.
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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