What if my organisation fails to make reasonable adjustments?
There are two scenarios if an organisation doesn’t meet the needs of an employee who has a disability in the workplace:
Allegation of discrimination. An employee can approach the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) if they feel their employer hasn’t provided reasonable adjustments at work. Employers are investigated by the AHRC and, if there are breaches, may have to make adjustments and also pay compensation.
Unjustifiable hardship. In this case, employers need to prove that an adjustment would be too time-consuming, expensive, or difficult to implement. However, this again would be determined by the AHRC.
Where can I go for more support?
You may want to provide more opportunities and support for workers with disability, but it’s hard to know where to begin. The good news is there are tools out there to help employers with financial and organisational assistance, including:
an Employment Assistance Fund to cover costs for reasonable adjustments
wage subsidies for employers with employees with disabilities
wage support for organisations who take on apprentices with disabilities
supported wage system for employees with disability who have limited productivity
disability Employment Services to help employers implement practices and support employees with disability as best as possible.
On top of this, you can take a look at Job Access, which is a free website to support disability employment. This platform has handy information on the Equal Opportunity Act 2010, subsidies and support, training and resources to help employers.