Support benefit "good for employers and disabled people"

I understand that evidence is that people with disabilities take the same or less time off sick than people without them. A disability is not an illness, though some illnesses can be a disability.
I have also seen evidence that a diverse workforce is better at meeting the needs of customers - that goes for any diversity issue.
One reason public organisations have higher levels of sick leave could be the way they measure sick leave - including weekends (or mine does, anyway).
The civil service has a very poor level of 6.5% staff with disabilities - I do not see that as being positive and promoting employment for people with disabilities. The Labour Force Survey says 14% of the workforce has a disability; so the civil service has a long way to go to catch up with the rest. Of course, even this lags behind the estimate of 20% of the population with a disability (from the Government Equality 2025 report).
We are improving; but disabled people are still more likely to be living in poverty, and less likely to be employed than other diversity groups.

The concept of 'Diversity' has not yet taken root as it is still seen in terms of black and white - either one is disabled on not !

The reality is "everyone" moves along the spectrum of functionality from feeling and being very fit to fit enough to not feeling or performing as well as one would like when stressed, fatigued, unwell or injured.

Nevertheless, whatever the condition impairing functionality in some way is whether temporary or in the case of longer lasting dysfunction may be defined as a disability because it will last up to or more than a year or even perminent all should expect to be treated in the same way.

I agree, there needs to be a change both to Law and Attitude. Disabled People actually need to 'get in the door' and get a job before they can even begin proving that they will not require extra time off sick.

Has there been any research undertaken regarding Disabled People in the work place that could be used to back up the argument that Employing Disabled People is a good idea? If not this would be worth considering.

However to maintain good health you need understanding employers who allow necessary time off for appointments and treatment. Not all appointments can be made in own time.

Many assessments result in people being pulled about and unable to return to work for the rest of the day.

Some disabilities do not need long periods of sickness but only if the employee and employer maintain a sensible approach. The problem is despite DDA this is not the norm. I agree that in many cases those of us who work try our best and give better service to our employers.

Yes give all of us disabled people a chance to work if we can my point is not all can especially with unsympathetic employers. Look at the way some pregnant women are treated do you really think those who are already suffering need this kind of bullying. I do not.

I also believe that prolonged sick leave is not necessarily the outcome of employing a disabled person but that many Absence Policies only allow a matter of days and people who suffer from the many auto immune diseases often need more than 7 days per year.

Disability is often accompanied by ill health this is not always the case and if so it doesn't always result in prolonged sick leave being taken. It has been my experience that often it is not the case that the disabled employer takes more time off than their non-disabled counterparts.

Indeed often the Disabled Person is so keen to prove themselves in the workplace that by employing a Disabled Person you get an eager, willing and very useful member of staff, a company that dismisses an application from a Disabled Person may well be cutting their nose off to spit their face!

And let us not forget the DDA.

Government Departments were renowned for being positive towards the disabled and actively promoted employment.

However as the outside world continually criticises them for high levels of sickness absence and we move into the dog eat dog world more and more are feeling the pinch. Managers who were once sympathetic are now on the disabled persons back all the time and many are leaving or fighting cases of bullying and harrassment.

Until the Government gets its own departments back on track. It really should not be so cocky when dealing with the private sector.

The new system does not seem all that great to me how does someone with mental illness who cannot cope with working get by if sent for interviews etc.

Will they and employers be penalised a) if not offered a job
b) if offered but not accepted c) If sacked for obvious reasons like cannot cope does not turn up etc?

Take this for what it is a money saving device the more disabled in work less benefit paid out. Do not believe for one minute this is a concern for the disabled maybe in the old days but now the Departments are run by outsiders people who have downsized and wrecked customer service in outside companies and who have been bought into streamline and privatise our departments concern of the individual has nothing to do with it.

In the end as taxpayers we will all suffer.

"Stress, DSE & RSI top of safety concerns" so, if not disabled before employed looks like 60% of us surely will be after being employed.

Especially if employed in the public sector where you stand a 10 to 20% more chance of suffering debilitating ill health.

Little wonder then that 2.2 million days lost productivity as the coping strategy of last resort is to escape the stressors for a day or so when those who try to carry on in harness are then characterised or accused of 'presenteeism'.

Perhaps if they had better asset management or just a higher regard for the production equipment then they wouldn't see as much collateral damage to their human resources.

I work for an organisation where the vast majority of employees, including myself, are Disabled People.

I'm new to the company and have recently been unemployed after being made redundant. My job search was very long and if this organisation hadn't been here I fully expect to still be seeking employment.

It is disgusting that negative discrimination is still rife. The Government need to act to get this changed. Perhaps they could lead by example!

I understand a recent experiment showed that the same application saying that the applicant was disabled got less than half of the interviews (let alone the jobs) as another identical not mentioning a disability.
People with disabilities are at a distinct disadvantage in the job market; The Government's stated aim may be to get disabled people off benefits and into work, but they won't do that by just encouraging disabled people to work. Most of them don't need encouraging - they need employers who will take them on.
Discrimination is still rife and will continue to be until employers are taken to task for not employing people with disabilities. That means action on the employers who continue to discriminate, not on those with disabilities who can't get work.