November 2018
In this Issue: National Disability Employment Awareness Month Wrap Up
EARN IN ACTION
Celebrating NDEAM with SHRM
To assist in its National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) observance, EARN penned an article for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) sharing resources HR professionals can use to increase disability inclusion in their workplaces throughout the year. Among these was EARN’s Inclusion@Work employer policy framework, which outlines seven core components of a disability-inclusive workplace. EARN was also pleased to exhibit at SHRM’s annual Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) conference in Atlanta, GA, speaking to attendees about strategies for infusing disability into their recruitment strategies. Read the SHRM article.
EARN at EAPA
At the Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA) national conference in Minneapolis last month, EARN coordinated a keynote panel focused on the intersection between employee assistance and disability inclusion, especially related to helping employees stay at or return to work after injury or illness. Panelists included EARN Consultant Derek Shields, as well as Michael Murray, Director of the Employer Policy Team at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy; Jamie Rudolph, Assistant Vice President and Operations Manager at U.S. Bank; and Gregory DeLapp, CEO of EAPA. Learn more about EAPA.
DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT IN THE NEWS
The Disability Inclusion Advantage
Companies that improve disability inclusion over time outperform those who don’t. That’s the long and short of a groundbreaking research study unveiled last month by Accenture in partnership with Disability:IN – an EARN partner – and the American Association of People with Disabilities. Specifically, the 45 companies identified as leaders in disability inclusion had, on average over a four-year period, 28 percent higher revenue, double the net income and 30 percent higher economic profit margins than their counterparts not on the list. Read the report.
Creating an Infrastructure for Inclusion
In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, John D. Kemp, President and CEO of The Viscardi Center, participated in an interview in which he discussed strategies employers can use to create an infrastructure for and culture of disability inclusion across their organizations. The Viscardi Center—a network of nonprofit organizations that offer a lifespan of services, including employment services, for youth and adults with disabilities—manages EARN under a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. Read the interview.
Exchanging Experience and Ideas
In partnership with DC Metro Business Leadership Network, the Global Social Enterprise Initiative at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business hosted a conference on October 29 focused on best practices for disability inclusion. Speakers included John Kemp, President and CEO of The Viscardi Center; Randy Lewis, Former Senior Vice President, Supply Chain and Logistics, Walgreens; Lori Golden, Abilities Strategy Leader, EY; Mary Lynn MacKenzie, Senior Vice President, Talent Acquisition, Bank of America; and Jeff Danley, Director, Regional Operations, Maryland Region, Starbucks Coffee. Learn more about the event.
Introducing the New Benefits.gov
Employees, both with and without disabilities, may sometimes have questions related to work and government benefits. Benefits.gov can help, and it recently redesigned its website to help users find the information they need more quickly and easily. The Federal Government’s official benefits website, Benefits.gov seeks to increase citizen access to information and reduce the expense and difficulty of interacting with the government. It is a collaboration of 16 federal agencies, with the U.S. Department of Labor serving as the managing partner. Visit Benefits.gov.
#LookCloser
A new innovative campaign sponsored by the National Organization on Disability in collaboration with several leading employers encourages businesses to “Look Closer” at the attributes of people with disabilities when hiring new talent. Unveiled on the giant screens outside Morgan Stanley’s headquarters in New York City’s Times Square, the multi-media initiative illustrates the value of disability inclusion through profiles of both companies and individuals and offers a range of resources for employers, including a #LookCloser toolkit. Learn more about #LookCloser.
ASK EARN
Q: In honor of Veterans Day, we are developing a plan to ensure our recruiting practices reach disabled veterans. Do you have resources that can help?
A: Yes! Taking steps to proactively recruit and hire veterans, including disabled veterans, is a smart move—every day of the year. Across industries, veterans are a ready source of qualified, committed job candidates with transferable skills proven in real world situations. EARN’s “Finding Candidates with Disabilities” webpage offers a list of specific sources that can help employers recruit and welcome disabled veterans into their workplaces.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
November 12-18, 2018
Event: National Apprenticeship Week
National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) 2018 will take place November 12-18. Held annually, NAW educates about apprenticeship and offers leaders in business, labor and education an opportunity to showcase how these programs help prepare a highly skilled workforce for employers in their communities. Combining classroom instruction with on-the-job training, apprenticeships help bridge skills gaps and bring new and more diverse talent into the workplace, including people with disabilities. Learn more about NAW.
December 4, 2018
Deadline: Comments on Proposed Award Program
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy and Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs are joining forces to recognize excellence in federal contractor disability inclusion practices. As part of this, they are currently soliciting public input on a planned “Excellence in Disability Inclusion” award program. The deadline for submitting comments is December 4, 2018. Learn more about the proposed program.
EMPLOYER SPOTLIGHT
Hershey
America’s iconic chocolate maker has found disability inclusion to be a sweet strategy for recruiting and retaining talent. As a partner in the National Organization on Disability’s new #LookCloser campaign, the company shared how it infuses disability into its diversity and inclusion strategy through partnerships with nonprofit organizations and government agencies and offers work-based learning opportunities for young people with disabilities.
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.