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Disability in the Workplace
Businesses can play a big part in improving the lives of people with disabilities. Small and medium-sized businesses account for 99.9% of the business population and account for three-fifths of the employment and around half of turnover in the UK private sector.1
14.6 million people in the UK have a disability which represents 22% of the population and includes 21% of working age adults.2 By taking your obligations to them seriously, you recognise their importance as employees, customers and a significant part of our communities. You’ll also:
- create a truly diverse workforce that reflects the people you serve
- bring additional skills and perspectives to your business
- demonstrate a real commitment to corporate social responsibility.
5 things you’ll learn from this guide:
In partnership with Business Disability Forum
We’ve partnered with the Business Disability Forum to create this guide. Drawing on our own experiences, it shows why disability matters for businesses and provides tools and insights to support affected employees and improve the environment for everyone.
Anyone who runs a small or medium-sized business knows that recruiting and retaining top talent is not easy. By encouraging applications from people with disabilities, your business can source high-quality applicants. You’ll also acquire new skills and a greater diversity of thinking. After all, people who have a disability now represent over 1 in 5 of the UK’s working population.2
Your business could also benefit from retaining a valued employee who acquires an impairment. It can be easier than recruiting and training new staff and better for the individual. This matters in a world where 83% of people who have a disability weren’t born with it.
But there’s a broader context. Small and medium-sized businesses are likely to serve a local customer base that includes people with disabilities. By reflecting that diversity, you can better understand and support their needs – particularly as 75% of disabled people and their families say they have taken their custom elsewhere because of poor accessibility and customer service.3 It is vital that businesses feel equipped to support all their employees’ needs. Only then can your people fulfil their potential.
According to the Equality Act 2010 - a person has a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
Many people do not define themselves as disabled based on the legal definition. This has led organisations to adopt an approach known as the social model of disability.5 It argues that people are disabled due to society's barriers and focuses on removing them. As a business, you are advised to (a) identify these barriers, and (b) remove them wherever possible.
The following suggestions help with inclusion and ensure you build a disability inclusive business.
Remove the barriers
The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society. All employers have a legal obligation under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments to remove or reduce barriers that cause substantial disadvantage to colleagues with disabilities. This applies where an organisation knows (or should reasonably know) that a colleague has a disability.
Promote positive and open interaction
Encourage equality of opportunity and positive relationships between all colleagues. Do it through open conversations about disability and the support available. Let your employees know this is important to your business and your culture.
Operate an inclusive recruitment and retention process
Your business will then benefit from a diverse range of applicants and talent. You’ll also benefit from the additional skills and insight employees with disabilities can offer.
Promote effective people management
Train line managers to support employees with disabilities by ensuring they understand the support available and have clear processes in place. Managers are confident to have sensitive conversations around adjustments needed and understand the importance of regular review to ensure they remain fit for purpose.
Provide ongoing support
Build business processes that support people with disabilities at every stage of their employment. It should start when you hire and onboard them and continue through their employment, development and advancement.
Support employees who care for someone with a disability
Carers of people with disabilities also have protections under the Equality Act. Be prepared to have open conversations about their needs for adjustment to allow them to carry out required caring responsibilities, such as considering flexible working for them as an adjustment.
How Lloyds Bank supports colleagues with disabilities
An inclusive recruitment and retention process
Inclusion and diversity matter to us at Lloyds Banking Group. It’s important to us that we build a workforce from the widest pool of talent, and which reflects the customers we serve. Candidates can apply via the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS). Through the DCS, we guarantee to interview a fair and proportionate number of applicants with a disability, whose application meets the minimum criteria for the advertised job role.
Making reasonable adjustments
We provide adjustments that are reasonable throughout the recruitment process to reduce or remove barriers for applicants with a disability, long-term health condition or neurodivergent condition.
Providing tools and resources
To support conversations across our Group, we regularly share case studies from leaders and colleagues. In this way, we inspire others to seek support. We make full use of our colleague network and provide training and information.
All organisations are required to make reasonable adjustments. However, the word ‘reasonable’ is not defined by the Equality Act though it is defined in case law. It is recommended that businesses have a robust process in place for requesting and implementing adjustments so this is clear and consistent across the organisation.
The assessment is made case by case based on the size, type and resources available to the employer. Mostly, the cost is minimal. However, where it is significant, support is available for businesses and staff through the government’s Access to Work programme.
Before making adjustments, employers should consider the following:
- Will it remove or reduce the barrier?
- Is it practical with no negative impacts, including to other staff?
- Do you have enough resources to do it and have you considered other funding sources?
- Will it genuinely support your employee or make little or no improvement?
If, after a full discussion with the employee, you feel an adjustment is not reasonable and no suitable alternative is found, you can decline it but would recommend seeking advice first.
There are two types of adjustments (these lists are not exhaustive):
How to get started
Speak with your employee about any barriers they face and agree on reasonable adjustments that will help remove the barrier. Often non-physical adjustments will substantially improve matters at zero cost. If you and your employee are unsure or disagree on adjustments, get advice. You’ll find some helpful contacts at the end of this guide.
Disability and Entrepreneurship report
Our Disability and Entrepreneurship report produced in partnership with Small Business Britain reflects the views of around 500 disabled entrepreneurs from across the UK.