How can managers help remove barriers facing disabled employees?

Issues relating to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) have been dominating headlines recently. While, in the US, the Trump administration is hitting the fiscal brakes on what it regards as ‘woke’ policy, in the UK political moves are accelerating the necessity for businesses to go further and faster to embed inclusion in the workplace.

Meanwhile, to tackle a ballooning national benefits bill, the UK government has announced what it describes as “the biggest shake-up to the welfare system in a generation”. The Get Britain Working reforms are designed to encourage disabled people and the long-term sick back into work and to ensure they have the right help and support to get them there.

“If the government is to achieve its aim of shifting millions of people into employment, then companies of all sizes will have to embrace inclusive management cultures to be ready to support them,” says Petra Wilton, CMI’s director of policy and external affairs. “Our work shows it can be done – and that skilled managers are critical to success.”

The bedrock of meaningful EDI

Evidence is building to demonstrate that meaningful workplace inclusion is good for individuals, businesses and the economy as a whole. But a CMI report published last year – Walking the Walk? Managers, inclusivity and organisational success – shows piecemeal practice is commonplace.

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The report surveyed 500 HR decision-makers as well as 1,000 employees with no management responsibilities to assess the current state of workplace inclusion and gauge what is making a difference.

“We found that trained and supportive managers play a bigger role in creating inclusive workplaces than a host of popular initiatives, including dedicated EDI programmes,” says Petra. “Managers are the bedrock of meaningful workplace inclusion.”

Walking the Walk? identified a ‘say-do gap’ between what senior management thinks is happening and what is really taking place. 

“Policies and procedures may exist, but, if they’re not put into practice, claims to value equality are meaningless tick-box exercises,” says Petra. “This disconnect reveals a missed opportunity to harness the full potential of a diverse workforce.”

Companies that regard inclusion as ‘business critical’ emerged as the survey’s highest performers, achieving better success in attracting talent than those that do not prioritise EDI (80% v 52%) and better staff retention (76% v 52%).

Commercial edge

“Being inclusive is undoubtedly good for business,” says David Dent MBE CMgr CCMI, who is vice-president of clinical research organisation Parexel International. “We know we need to attract and retain talent in the UK, and the millions of people with disabilities can bring a unique perspective. They constantly have to adapt to overcome hurdles, are innovative, resilient, motivated and can bring a great deal of value to the job.”

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A wheelchair user since he was injured in combat in Bosnia, army veteran David is a passionate advocate of workplace inclusion, for which he has full corporate backing.

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“We sought to understand why people join Parexel and why they choose to stay,” says David, who set up a Parexel disability strategy group in 2019 to inform developments. “Inclusion really matters to this business, and we can demonstrate that to our colleagues and our customers, which gives us a commercial edge.”

While some businesses appear to be dialling down their ethical credentials in public, many investors continue to look for inclusive and equitable organisations to back. And for businesses trading with Europe, new laws (the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the European Accessibility Act) require demonstration of disability inclusion throughout the supply chain. 

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“If inclusion results in higher profits and improves the corporate culture, then why not do it? In many instances, supporting these efforts can be low cost,” says David.