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As an employer, you want the right person for the job. The right person could be someone with disability.
Many businesses, including the following Prime Minister's Employer of the Year Award winners, already employ workers with disability because it makes good business sense.
Michael Ebejer, Managing Director of Elynwood Pty Ltd says: ‘The benefits to our business of employing people with disabilities—I think, it's self satisfaction. I think that we're proud that we've helped people and, in return, we've got loyalty, dedication and less turnover’.
‘We find that people with a disability remain in the job longer, they have incredible morale, and the business benefits from that morale—and most manufacturing managers will tell you if you lose morale in your workplace, you lose about 15 per cent of your productivity’, explains Steven Bennett, Managing Director, Benbro Pty Ltd. ‘People with disabilities do a better job on most occasions. They stay in the job longer. They arrive at work on time. They have less sick days. And the list really goes on’.
Catering Manager, Jo Spiteri states, ‘Elynwood has found that their workplace has changed since we've employed disabled people. It has helped actually motivate other staff members into doing a better job—only because our disabled staff seem to be more motivated, so it's sort of created a whole team environment’.
Benbro Pty Ltd has found the many benefits of employing people with disability: ‘Having people with disabilities in your workforce is great for everybody’. States John Bennett, Director of Engineering. ‘It improves the morale of the place. It's a fun place to work and it includes all of the people that don't have disabilities as well and they are involved in assisting the people with disabilities, but it makes the place a better place to work for them as well’.
The Managing Director of Perth Regional Roof Trusses, Darryl Marshall, says: ‘The feedback from our customers has been very positive. And even the likes of our suppliers and the transport company that we use, everyone is very encouraging and very happy to work with the guys with disabilities’.
John Bennett adds: ‘Yeah, customers love it. I think every person that does business with you respects the fact that you employ people with disabilities and I think it includes them in the chain of employing people with disabilities. Even if they're unable to do it themselves, they feel included just because they're a customer of yours’.
Darryl recommends: ‘My advice to other employers would be to give people with a disability a go. My experience has been nothing but positive. We've had a lot of success employing people with disabilities and it's something we'll continue to do into the future’. advise
Emma also advises: ‘We would definitely encourage other businesses to employ people with disabilities. They bring so many skills, talents and abilities to our organisation and they work as valuable employees’.
‘I would advise other employers to look at the opportunities of employing disabled people because they have so much to offer and often they are so motivated and want to be in the workplace that they'll give you 110 per cent’, states Jo.
Strengthen your business by employing people with disability.
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