When helping an employee keep their job, you need to be flexible and treat each person as an individual. While many job seekers with disability will have no specific support requirements to keep their job, for some job seekers with disability, some support or assistance may be required. Tailor your approach to individual needs and capacities and focus clearly on each person’s goals and abilities.
The way that you support the job seeker will depend on whether or not they have disclosed information about their disability to their employer. The following fact sheet can help the employee decide whether or not to disclose information about their disability:
If an employee's job is at risk due to the effects of disability, illness or injury they may require immediate support such as Job in Jeopardy assistance:
Arranging workplace modifications
Determine whether modifications or adjustments are required to the workplace, including essential tools, as this will assist the employee complete the essential requirements of their job. Discuss any requirements with the employee and the employer so that the modifications or adjustments can be implemented.
It is also useful to talk to the employee or employer about the incentives that may be available to the employer, such as financial help through the Employment Assistance Fund. If the employee knows about these incentives they can discuss them with their employer, or if you have contact with the employer, you can discuss the help available and help the employer apply or apply on their behalf.
For information on workplace modifications and adjustments, visit:
Providing disability awareness training
If the employee's disability requires co-workers to make adjustments, it is a good idea to discuss with them how they would like this explained to their co-workers. The employee may prefer to:
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discuss their needs directly with the relevant co-workers individually
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provide information to their buddy, supervisor or manager to brief the team on their requirements
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have a disability awareness training session organised for the team.
The following information is available to assist you with disability awareness:
Providing training assistance and support
Providing training assistance and support may help employees keep their job. Training requirements will vary depending on the employee, the complexity of the job and the nature of the workplace, but could include:
- job analysis and systematic practical ‘show and tell’ instruction by an external or internal job coach to achieve task competence
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performance monitoring and the introduction of aids such as self-monitoring production charts, visual or written checklists and schedules, models or work samples and memory prompts, to foster independence and productivity
- a train the trainer approach involving either:
- a formal process of instructing a designated co-worker or supervisor in more appropriate specialist training and performance monitoring techniques
- developing an informal buddy system where a co-worker is willing to keep an eye on the employee’s progress and assist with learning new tasks and dealing with work-related problems as required.
The following is a series of tips on effective training, though keep in mind that every employee is unique with their own capabilities, limitations and learning styles:
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teach new tasks by practical demonstration (the show and tell method)—demonstrate or model the task yourself and then get the employee to do it, explaining and correcting any mistakes as you go along
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break down more complex tasks and show the employee step by step, especially for tasks that the person is having trouble mastering
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be open to different ways of completing tasks as long as the end result is the same
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concentrate first on quality rather than quantity, ensuring the employee is undertaking the task correctly before focusing on speed or productivity
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give lots of positive feedback though never neglect to correct mistakes, unacceptable behaviours or unsafe working methods and stress why this is important
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avoid immediate job rotation or introducing too much variety from day one, though remember that many employees will be able to multi-skill and it often helps the learning process (repetition being the key) if they can master one, two or a few tasks before moving on to learn new duties
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be clear in your instructions and don’t flood the employee with a lot of new information at once, avoid difficult language or complex directions, give one instruction at a time or if memory is an issue make up a list of jobs for the day
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make it clear that it is OK to ask questions if unsure about a task or what to do next, though also encourage and praise initiative.
Providing support on or off the job
Once a job seeker has commenced work and been given all the necessary initial assistance, you can increase their chances of keeping their job by providing support as it is required. The way that you support the new employee will depend on whether or not they have disclosed information on their disability to their employer.
The way that support is provided to the employee on or off the job will vary according to their individual needs, and may include:
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off-site or on-site visits and phone calls to:
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provide reassurance
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help with any challenging situations
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monitor performance and improvement strategies including measuring quantity and quality of work, attitudes to work, and monitoring the quality of interactions with co-workers and supervisors
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assist to resolve work related problems
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help resolve communication problems with co-workers or supervisors
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ongoing coaching for the employer and co-workers on relevant disability issues or training techniques
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advice on job redesign (tasks, processes, hours) or workplace adjustments (structural modifications, special aids/equipment, communication strategies)
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provision or arrangement of ergonomic or workplace assessments (if these have not already occurred or if a new problem arises)
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off-site or on-site counselling or performance feedback
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referral to community services or work related support mechanisms (like employee assistance programmes) if assistance is required in other areas of the employee's life that could interfere with retaining employment
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assistance with training and expansion of duties, including regular performance reviews and appraisals
- assistance with career development through further training and expansion of duties.