August 25, 2017
In this Issue: Circle Meeting, Disability Employment Tracker Results and More
WHAT'S NEW
Circling to Discuss Effective Talent Retention
Earlier this week, the “Circle,” a group of companies recognized for their leadership on disability inclusion, met in conjunction with the U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN) 2017 National Conference in Orlando, FL. In addition to sharing recent developments within their companies’ disability employment initiatives, members participated in a moderated discussion about stay-at-work and return-to-work policies and programs with leaders from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. USBLN manages the Circle as a partner in EARN. Learn more about USBLN.
Tracking the Common Traits of Inclusive Employers
Late last month, the National Organization on Disability (NOD) released aggregated results of its 2017 Disability Employment Tracker™, revealing five common attributes shared by companies making the most progress on disability inclusion. The 2017 Tracker measured the practices and outcomes of more than 175 companies that collectively employ more than 2.4 million workers. “The employers who do hire from this pool consistently rank employees with disabilities among their best, most dedicated workers, with some of the lowest rates of turnover,” said NOD President Carol Glazer in an announcement about the results. Read about the 2017 Tracker results.
Recognizing Disability Inclusion in the Supply Chain
Recently, the Billion Dollar Roundtable—created to recognize corporations that spend at least $1 billion with minority- and women-owned suppliers—expanded the criteria it uses to evaluate supply chain diversity to include Disability-Owned Business Enterprises, Service-Disabled Veteran Disability-Owned Business Enterprises and Veteran-Disability Owned Business Enterprises, as well as LGBT Business Enterprises. “In a country where one in five Americans has a disability, corporations are realizing the importance of disability inclusion across the enterprise,” said Jill Houghton, USBLN President and CEO, in response to the announcement. Read more about the BDR announcement.
Back to School Time!
In many places across the nation, students are heading back to school. As a result, it’s a perfect time for educational institutions to refresh their knowledge about workplace accommodations for educators with disabilities. The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) offers a range of resources, including a guide focused on educators with disabilities, to assist employers in complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act by providing appropriate and effective accommodations. Like EARN, JAN is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. Learn about accommodations for educators with disabilities.
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ASKEARN.ORG SPOTLIGHT
Stay-at-Work/Return-to-Work
Stay-at-Work/Return-to-Work programs help supervisors manage employee injury, illness and disability and ensure that employees are able to return to the workplace as quickly and safely as possible. Programs that allow employees to resume working in an appropriate and timely manner, with or without work restrictions, are essential for minimizing health-related absences and optimizing productivity. To help employers learn more, EARN offers a webpage with basics on the topic, along with links to more in-dpeth resources.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Thursday, September 14, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET
Webinar: Creating Inclusive Higher Education Work Environments for People with Mental Health Disabilities
In the higher education workplace environment, policies and practices that support success for faculty and staff with mental health conditions are also sound management practices that benefit all workers and employers. During this webinar, hosted by EARN in collaboration with the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC), a panel of experts will explore this issue in depth. While geared toward higher education, the content that will be shared is widely applicable, and employers in all industries are encouraged to participate. Register for the September 14 webinar.
Thursday, September 20, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. ET
Webinar: Reasonable Accommodation Update
Sponsored by the ADA National Network, this webinar will address recent reasonable accommodation court decisions so that employers can better understand their responsibilities under the relevant provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It will also review the process for implementing reasonable accommodations from both the employee and employer perspective. The presenters will be Equip for Equality’s Director of Legal Services, Barry Taylor, and Staff Attorney, Rachel Weisberg. Register for the September 20 webinar.
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EMPLOYER SPOTLIGHT
1st Bank
1st Bank, a division of Glacier Bank with branches in Wyoming and Utah, prides itself on its commitment to both customers and community. And thanks to strong support from top level leadership, the bank is also a recognized leader in the employment of people with disabilities.
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The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) is a resource for employers seeking to recruit, hire, retain and advance qualified employees with disabilities. It is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy under a cooperative agreement with The Viscardi Center. For more information, visit AskEARN.org
Preparation of this material was funded by the Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor, Grant No. [OD-26451-14-75-4-36]. This document does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.