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Employers' corner
In an ever changing and competitive workplace, employers
increasingly value their human resources---the women and men whose work
results in the profits and outcomes that keep companies and
organizations in business. Enlightened employers also realize their
social responsibility to the communities in which they operate---to all
members of those communities, including its disabled members.
A strong business case exists for the inclusion and equal
opportunity and treatment of workers with disabilities in all aspects
of a company’s operations. Recent ILO publications and a regionally
focused video (see the link below) demonstrate that worker with disabilities
make productive employees---if they have access to the resources that
all workers need to succeed in employment. As decision-makers regarding
hiring, job retention and promotion, employers have an obvious role
to play in ensuring that workers with disabilities are treated equitably
in the workplace. Because of this key role, the ILO has developed the
Code
of Practice on Managing Disability in the Workplace to guide employers
to adopt positive workplace strategies in this regard. Employers can
also make major contributions outside the workplace. ILO
Convention concerning Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled
Persons), 1983 (No. 159) requires that governments develop a national
policy on vocational rehabilitation in consultation with employers'
and workers' organizations. The accompanying
Recommendation No. 168 (1983) and Recommendation
No. 99 (1955) offer specific guidance for employers’ organizations
in promoting equal opportunity and treatment of workers with disabilities.
Recently, employers began addressing the issue of
disability in the workplace and the general community through their own
initiatives. Employer networks and advisory councils (see the link below)
are emerging in several countries, most notably in Cambodia, Sri Lanka,
and Thailand. These groups not only promote the hiring of disabled workers
and assist their members with disability issues, but engage in activities
like assisting training centres make curricula more workplace responsive
or participating in partnerships to develop policies and programmes for
disabled persons that integrate the business perspective.
In these web pages you will learn about what employers can and are
doing to contribute to the equal opportunity and treatment of workers with
disabilities and how to directly benefit from such equity. You can also
learn about resources and strategies to assist you in the hiring,
retention, and re-employment of disabled or injured workers.
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