Workplace Accommodations and Disability Employment Corporate Leadership Circle (CLC) Webinar Wednesday, October 21 st from pm ET Featuring: To join the live webcast:

Workplace Accommodations and Disability Employment | Corporate Leadership Circle (CLC) Webinar Anne Weisberg Senior Vice President, Strategy Families and Work Institute Moderator Speakers Dr. Kenneth Matos Senior Director of Research Families and Work Institute Lou Orslene, MPIA, MSW, CPDM Co-Director Job Accommodation Network (JAN) Deb Dagit President Deb Dagit Diversity LLC Board member, Families and Work Institute

Agenda Research Overview From FWI’s 2014 National Study of Employers: Including the Talents of Employees with Disabilities Dr. Kenneth Matos, Families and Work Institute Workplace Accommodations and Disability Employment | Corporate Leadership Circle (CLC) Webinar Introduction Why hiring, retaining and advancing people with disabilities is an important business issue Deb Dagit, Deb Dagit Diversity LLC Strategies and Tips for Employers How to create an inclusive culture, and navigate the interactive accommodations process Lou Orslene, Job Accommodation Network

Deb Dagit President, Deb Dagit Diversity LLC Board member, Families and Work Institute Speaking Professional highlights include: Pre-eminent thought leader in the field of diversity and inclusion Currently works with companies, nonprofits and government organizations to provide consulting services, tools and support for diversity practitioners Served as Chief Diversity Officer at Merck for 11 years Played a key role in the passage of the American with Disabilities Act Workplace Accommodations and Disability Employment | Corporate Leadership Circle (CLC) Webinar

Findings from FWI’s 2014 National Study of Employers:  More employers indicate that they allow all or most employees access to task flexibility, when discussing employees with disabilities in specific (61%) than when discussing employees in general (53%)  Building inclusive policies may be harder in businesses with little policy infrastructure. Employers seem willing but unprepared. When asked if they include employees with disabilities in formal staffing plans: 39% yes / 9% no 50% don’t have a formal staffing plan

JAN is a service of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. 6 Workplace Accommodations and Disability Employment Lou Orslene, Co-Director with the Job Accommodation Network (JAN)

The three C’s: Increase comfort, confidence, and competence  Understand the business case for hiring and retaining people with disabilities  Develop skills that help to more effectively communicate at work with people with disabilities  Develop actionable policy and procedures  Develop good practices for hiring, onboarding, and retaining people with disabilities 7 Creating Workplace Inclusion

Five Signs the Doors are Open 1. Accessible buildings, technology, etc. 2. Inclusive ethos - particularly language 3. Inclusive public relations and marketing 4. Leverage national and local resources to communicate inclusion 5. Inclusive policies and practices 8 Readiness for Inclusion

Elements of an actionable policy: 1. Step-by-step process 2. Clearly delineated roles 3. Timelines for processes 4. Touchpoints for communication 5. Process for resolving disputes 9 Inclusive Policy and Practices

The basis for inclusive employment is the reasonable accommodation (RA) policy and process The foundation for reasonable accommodation is a robust interactive process (IP) A request for an accommodation or recognition of an obvious barrier to someone with a known disability triggers RA and IP A request for accommodation includes two essential elements – a medical condition and a related challenge at work 10 Inclusive Policy and Practices

 What is a reasonable accommodation request?  An applicant or employee asks for something that is needed at work because of a medical condition – there is a nexus between impairment, limitation, and work.  What is NOT a request for accommodation:  Voluntary self- identification  Disclosure absent work-related barrier or request  Workplace adjustments available to employees without disabilities 11 Recognizing a Request

 A collaborative effort to identify effective accommodation solutions – it’s that simple.  Initiated at any time during the employee life cycle  Facilitates communication and inclusion  Demonstrates good faith  Leads to compliance and inclusion 12 What is the Interactive Process?

13 JAN’s Interactive Process

 Failure to recognize an accommodation request and engage  Failure to exhibit empathy and actively listen  Failure to respond in a timely manner and follow through  Failure to document  Failure to work collaboratively with the employee  Making excuses for why an accommodation can’t be provided  Failure to communicate to essential personnel  Failure to follow up 14 Interactive Process Pitfalls

 Modifying schedule or allowing leave time  Making workplace or work station accessible  Modifying methods – testing, communication, or training  Modifying or creating policies  Purchasing or modifying equipment or products  Purchasing a service – reader or interpreter  Restructuring job  Reassignment  Other accommodations  Telework  Adjusting supervisory method  Using a service animal 15 Types of Accommodation

16 Inclusive Recruiting and Hiring

 Include people with disabilities in diversity recruitment goals  Create partnerships with disability-related advocacy organizations  Contact career centers at colleges and universities  Post job announcements in disability-related publications, websites, and job fairs  Establish summer internship and mentoring programs targeted at youth with disabilities 17 Inclusive Recruiting and Hiring

 Train hiring managers  Have a solid actionable RA process  Have an internal disability point  Add diversity metrics to hiring managers’ performance review  Insure the accessibility of your applicant tracking system i.e. career portal  Insure the accessibility of your pre- employment testing 18 Inclusive Recruiting and Hiring

 Alternate way to submit application  Describe the hiring process  Inform applicants ahead of time about employment testing  Inform applicants about how to request accommodation  Follow up on requests without delay 19 Inclusive Recruiting and Hiring “If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre- employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct inquiries to…” Inform Applicants

 Conduct accessibility review  Have your EEO statement no more than three clicks from portal entry  Use text descriptions for visual material  Caption audio and visual materials  Consistent design throughout the website  Minimize reliance on color  Allow for keyboard navigation  Insure documents linked from site are accessible 20 Inclusive Recruiting and Hiring Tips for ATS/Career Portal

 Prominently feature the accommodation request procedure  Choose pre-employment testing vendor wisely to insure the accessibility of its product  Charge your vendor with modifying its tests or testing process  If your vendor cannot provide the necessary accommodation, then have a process in place  Ultimately, consider waiving a test if that rare occasion occurs 21 Inclusive Recruiting and Hiring Tips for Pre-Hire Testing

 Inform new hires of the reasonable accommodation process  Inform new hires of the safety evacuation procedures  Provide employment materials in an accessible format, as needed (i.e., large print, audio, Braille)  Address computer and communication technology access issues  Address accessible parking and building access issues (i.e., keyless entry, security issues, restrooms, break rooms, etc.) 22 Inclusive On-boarding

23  Expert consultation  Over 250 JAN- authored Publications  JAN’s A-Z (Disability, Topic, Limitation)  Legal libraries that include regulations and EEOC guidance documents  JAN Quarterly ENewsletter  JAN Training Modules and FREE Webcast Series  Easy access:  AskJAN.org AskJAN.org  or (TTY)  Chat, JAN on Demand, Skype, Text, Social Media Use JAN and Other Resources

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