Claudia Cavallaro, a chartered professional in human resources and a certified workplace health and performance abmassador, recently sat down to talk with HR Exchange Network to provide information on a document regarding accessibility in the workplace. As a concussion survivor and an HR professional, Cavallaro partnered with the Concussion Legacy Foundation of Canada to develop a short guidebook to help employees with limitations to request reasonable accommodation in the workplace.
HREN: Tell us a bit about the document on accessibility.
CC: The document on workplace accommodations was developed in partnership with the Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada in an effort to educate employees about their workplace rights regarding the disclosure of a disability and requesting workplace accommodations. [Anyone can access the document on the Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada website.] It's a brief guideline of frequently asked questions (what, where, why, who, when and how). It was designed to be an introduction for employees therefore it is recommended that employees seek further information from their HR department or a representative of the company, as well as employment support providers in their community, for more information.
HREN: Why is this important?
CC: As an HR Professional and a certified workplace health and performance ambassador, I have a keen interest in workplace wellness and employment inclusion. For legal and moral reasons, advocating for workplace accommodation is important to me. Legally, employees are protected from employment-related discrimination on the grounds of disability under human rights legislation in Canada. Morally, as a concussion survivor, I am invested in advocating for invisible disabilities in the workplace. Statistically, there is also a need. According to Statistics Canada, the disability rate among Canadians has increased, and it’s partly because of the increase of invisible disabilities (including mental illnesses) among the youth and working-age adults.
HREN: What are the biggest challenges for those who want to make workplaces accessible?
CC: In my opinion, the challenges impeding leaders/managers and employees from having open conversations about accommodations include, but are not limited to the following:
From the employer’s standpoint:
Attitudinal barriers and preconceived notions that workplace accommodations are major expenses
Research has shown otherwise, however. The average cost of a workplace accommodation is a one-time cost of under $500, with most accommodations costing nothing (e.g. flexible working conditions, strategically scheduling meetings and planning for uninterrupted work time, reallocation or exchange of some non-essential functions in their position for others, etc.). Additionally, for hard accommodations such as adapted equipment and tools/specialized computer equipment, specialized desk chairs, etc., most employees already own them and therefore are free of charge to their employer.
From the employee’s point of view:
Fear of retribution from their supervisor or workplace bullying by their coworkers as an aftermath for the disclosure of a disability and request for workplace accommodation.
Research has proven however that psychologically safe workplaces and workplaces that are invested in the overall health and well-being of their employees are higher performing and profitable. Employers therefore ought to consider prioritizing psychologically safe and inclusive workplaces for more than just the moral case but for the business case as well.
Examples for creating inclusive workplaces include implementing a corporate policy on accommodation, investing in management training (for example, unconscious bias, emotional intelligence, disability awareness training, etc.), creating an open-door policy, modifying corporate policies and practices that are discriminatory in nature such as recruitment processes, employee training on inclusion and accommodations in the workplace, etc.
HREN: What do you wish leaders knew about hiring disabled people and accessibility? Why?
CC: My wish for leaders and hiring managers is to know that hiring applicants with disabilities is not a moral case but a business case for the following reasons:
There's an untapped pool of qualified and educated candidates, that have been statistically proven to be associated with less absenteeism and turnover. As the population ages and the disability rates increase, employers will not be able to afford to exclude them from the labor force.
Diversity in teams (for example, diverse education, professional background, lived experience, diverse competencies and diverse thinking) leads to innovative products and services, which enable businesses to expand into untapped markets of customers.
Accommodations can enhance the working conditions and work environment for all employees by fostering inclusive workplaces. For example, options for remote work can accommodate diverse needs, such as childcare, eldercare, etc. and offering communications in a variety of formats (for example, audio, visual, etc.) can address employees with different learning styles.
HREN: Is there anything else you’d like people to know? If so, what?
CC: There's an extensive amount of resources, from national and local employment service providers, federal and provincial/territorial human rights legislation, the Canadian Human Rights Commission and your local provincial/territorial agency, and some provinces have specific legislations for addressing accessibility, such as the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). For HR Professionals interested in furthering their knowledge, there are online, self-paced training programs on the duty to accommodate (for example, University of New Brunswick).