Disabled workers are facing large amounts of discrimination including failures to install reasonable adjustments and bullying at work, a survey has found.
The Trades Union Congress represents more than 5.2 million working people in 48 member unions. recently asked 1,000 disabled members to describe their experiences.
The biggest problems among those surveyed were:
*Not getting reasonable adjustments. which 34% complained of.
*Disability-related leave being counted as sick leave. 34%
*Bullying, discrimination and harassment in the workplace. 28%
*The lack of inclusive policies (for example leave, family policies). 25%
*Being paid less than people who are not disabled. 12%
All employers have a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to proactively make reasonable adjustments to remove, reduce or prevent any disadvantages that disabled workers face. Reasonable adjustments can include allowing an employee to work different hours or from home or providing specialised equipment like adapted keyboards or screen readers.
The union body says that access to reasonable adjustments is a key factor that can make the difference for disabled workers between being able to stay in work or having to leave employment. The TUC Disabled Workers Conference and Disabled Workers Committee have consistently raised concerns regarding the huge barriers disabled workers face when getting into and staying in work. This includes significant difficulties in accessing reasonable adjustments.
The TUC has called upon the government to: “support disabled people into work and act to ensure that those disabled workers who are able to work, and want to work, have the support they need to enter and stay in work. Where employers have not put in place the reasonable adjustments disabled workers need to do their job, the disabled worker should not face a detriment linked to benefits or their removal/reduction.”
You can download the full report here.
Meanwhile campaigning organisation Disability Rights UK has provided a summary of bullying behaviour suffered by disabled workers.
Dan White policy and campaigns officer at DR UK said “This is the latest in a long line of findings that show disabled people in the workplace, facing various barriers and prejudices. From a lack of reasonable adjustments; disability employment and pay gaps; disability related leave recorded as sick leave and now abuse at work”
