Whether to tell people about your disability at work is your choice to make. If you’re starting a new job or already working, you might like to talk to your employer about your disability to get any support you need., When to talk about your disability, You should talk to your employer about your disability if: your disability affects how you might do your job your disability affects you working safely. If your disability doesn’t affect your work or safety, you don’t have to mention it. Deciding whether to talk to others at work about your disability is a personal decision. You should decide based on your own situation. There are some benefits…, Sharing information, When you talk to your employer about your disability, the law says you only need to give information about: how your disability might affect your ability to do the job or work safely medications you take that might affect your ability to work safely. You don’t need to talk about other medical or personal issues not related to your disability., Starting the conversation, If you are ready to talk about your disability at work, you might like to start a conversation with your employer. You and your employer could consider: writing an email to co-workers introducing yourself and saying what support you need writing something for your internal website or newsletter organising disability awareness training for your workplace . These conversations can help promote…, Tips for talking to co-workers, Your co-workers might be curious about your disability and how you manage it. It’s up to you how much to say. Be as honest and open as you feel comfortable with. If people don’t respond well to what you tell them, remember that it’s not your job to change people’s ideas about disability. And some co-workers might be shy or uncomfortable, or worry about saying the wrong thing. If you feel…, What people can’t ask you, Your employer or co-workers can’t ask: for personal details – for example, about how you live general questions about your health or disability – for example, how you got your disability. Note that it is illegal for your employer, supervisors or co-workers to make upsetting or offensive comments about your disability. If you are worried about how people act around you at work, or questions they…, Your privacy, There are laws that protect your privacy. That means if you mention your disability to someone at work, they can’t tell anyone else about it unless you give your permission. For more information, visit How your personal information is protected . You can find out more about the Privacy Act at the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner website.
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Australia has laws to make sure that people with disability are treated fairly. However, disability discrimination and harassment sometimes still happen, including in the workplace. Find out what you can do if this happens to you., What is disability discrimination?, Disability discrimination is when a person with disability is treated less fairly than people without disability. People might also discriminate against relatives, friends, carers, co-workers or other people who know a person with disability. In the workplace, discrimination can happen: when you’re applying for a new job while you’re doing your job when you’re applying for a promotion when you…, Examples of discrimination, These are just a few examples of what disability discrimination at work might look like: A person who uses a wheelchair applies for a promotion into a job serving customers. They don’t get the promotion because the manager says customers might feel ‘uncomfortable’ A person who is deaf can’t get the same job training as other staff because the training isn’t in a format they can use A person with…, What is harassment?, Harassment is a type of discrimination. Examples of harassment that are related to disability might be: teasing a person because of their disability asking questions about a person’s disability, when that person said they don’t want them too Making fun of a person with disability through jokes or doing gestures., What to do if you experience discrimination or harassment, If you think you’ve been discriminated against or harassed because of your disability, there are different things you can do., Talking to the other person, In some cases, you might be able to work through the issue by talking to the other person. To do this, you could: ask for a meeting with the person to explain how you feel – take along another person, who is not involved with the issue, can sometimes a good idea write the person a message or email find out what work the other person does – this can sometimes help develop understanding and good…, Raise it with your employer, In the case of an ongoing or serious issue, you can talk to: your supervisor or another senior person your workplace disability contact officer, if there is one someone in the human resources (HR) department. You may also want to check if your organisation has its own complaints process you can follow., Complain to an anti-discrimination organisation, If raising the issue with your employer doesn’t help, you can complain to: the Australian Human Rights Commission Fair Work Commission state and territory anti-discrimination organisations. Below are some ways to do this., Making a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission, You can make a complaint to the Human Rights Commission no matter where you live in Australia. The service is free and independent. Your complaint needs to be in writing. There are different ways you can send it to the Commission: fill in the online complaints form print off the form, fill it in and either post the form to GPO Box 5218, Sydney 2001 or fax it to 02 9284 9611. Your complaint…, , 1300 656 419, ., What happens after you make a complaint, The Commission can only look into your complaint if the law says it can. If they can’t deal with your complaint, they will write to you and explain why. If they look into your complaint, they might contact the other person involved, to get their side of the story. The Commission will then work with you and the other person to find a solution everyone agrees with. This is called conciliation. If…, Other support, The Fair Work Commission website has information on how to deal with different workplace disputes. The Fair Work Commission can also tell you how to make a claim if you think you have unfairly lost your job due to your disability. They can also help if you have experienced discrimination in some other way. There are also organisations in each state and territory that can help with information…
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No matter the industry, safety in the workplace is everyone's responsibility. It’s important to work together to make sure everyone is healthy and safe. , What you must do, Work health and safety law says that as an employee, you must work safely. This applies to all workers, whether they have a disability or not. This means you must: act responsibly take care of yourself and others work together with your employer on work health and safety issues. Each industry has its own work health and safety requirements. To stay on top of this, you can: talk to your employer…, Planning to work from home?, If you are planning to work from home, your employer might want to do a work health and safety check before you start. See our Flexible working arrangements page for more on working from home., What your employer must do, Your employer has responsibilities too. They must: provide a safe and healthy workplace to protect employees from injury or harm provide health and safety training make sure that all employees are covered by workers compensation insurance help employees return to work safely, if they experience a work-related injury. Find out more about workplace injuries, illness and compensation at Workers…, Changes to support employees with disability, For employees with disability, employers must also make any changes to the workplace to make sure they can work safely. For example, employers might: make changes to work areas, like adding ramps or better lighting provide equipment and technology make any changes to processes. Employers should also provide health and safety training and information in formats that are accessible to all employees…
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If you experience a work-related injury or illness, workers compensation payments can help if you need to take time off work. It can also help you return to work safely., What is workers compensation?, Workers compensation is a form of insurance payment to support people who get injured at work or become ill due their work. Some workers compensation schemes also cover injuries that are psychological – affecting your mental health. Workers compensation can cover: lost wages medical, hospital and rehabilitation costs expenses to help you return safely to work lump sum payments for permanent…, Workplace injuries and your responsibilities, As an employee, you have responsibilities in relation to workplace safety. You must help to create a safe workplace. You also must: report anything you think might cause a workplace accident or injury get medical attention if you are injured tell your employer about the details of an injury take part in the activities of your injury management plan. An ‘injury management plan’ is a plan the…, Reporting an injury or accident, You should report to your employer as soon as possible if you are: injured involved in or see an accident. You should take the following steps: Record the details of your injury. You can do this yourself or someone can do it for you. See a doctor who can assess you and decide what treatment you need. They should give you a medical certificate or work capacity certificate if you need time off work…, Where can I find out more?, If you have any questions about workers compensation, or you need other help, you can ask your employer or contact your local workers compensation scheme. State and territory compensation schemes: WorkSafe ACT SafeWork NSW NT WorkSafe WorkSafe Queensland ReturnToWorkSA WorkSafe Tasmania Worksafe Victoria WorkCover WA You can also find more information on the following websites: Safe Work…
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A common question JobAccess Advisers often get asked is, “what is reasonable for employers to ask as evidence of disability from employees?”. Our advice is based on good practice*. An employee does not have tell their employer, unless it impacts – their ability to perform the inherent requirements of the role, or their safety, or the safety of their co-workers. If any of these apply, employees…, Are you looking for support on workplace adjustments? Talk to the experts., JobAccess offers free and confidential advice on workplace adjustments for employers, people with disability and service providers. Our allied health professionals give tailored advice to meet your needs from the first point of contact. JobAccess also manages applications for workplace adjustments through the Employment Assistance Fund (EAF) . The EAF gives financial help to people with…
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The Australian Government is making changes to help more people with disability find work., Inclusive Employment Australia, will soon replace Disability Employment Services (DES). The program will help create a more inclusive future where people with disability, as well as those with injury, or health conditions can get support to find jobs and grow their career. More information about Inclusive Employment Australia is available on the Department of Social Services website or speak to your provider
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The Department for Child Protection (DCP) , SA plays a pivotal role in keeping children and young people safe from abuse and harm. It also offers care to those who experience neglect in their family homes. With a view to improve workforce diversity, DCP partnered with the National Disability Recruitment Coordinator (NDRC) . The NDRC is JobAccess' employer engagement service. It partners with…, Commitment to build a supportive and accessible work culture, The DCP's Disability Access and Inclusion Plan 2020-2024 outlines steps to promote the rights of South Australians living with disability. It ensures that everyone enjoys equal access and inclusion within the community. It also details strategies to improve access to the services DCP offers., Teresa Di Manno, , Team Leader, Recruitment at DCP, emphasises their commitment to disability inclusion. “The Department is currently working to set realistic, impactful goals. We are looking to increase disability representation within DCP. We also aim to improve accessibility across all stages of employment, from recruitment to retention." , Building disability confidence through NDRC partnership, Teresa said she learned about the NDRC through discussions on improving diversity and inclusion at DCP. “Some peers in the public sector network highly recommended JobAccess. They had worked with the NDRC before and found JobAccess very helpful when it comes to creating a more inclusive workplace," Teresa recalls. After learning about the service, DCP signed up for a partnership with the NDRC. “…, Removing workplace barriers to improve disability inclusion, A NDRC Professional Adviser worked with Teresa and the team at DCP. “The adviser did an extensive review of our recruitment policies and processes. This led to a significant improvement," said Teresa. “He also delivered disability awareness training to our leadership team and hiring managers. It offered insights on how to reduce workplace barriers for people with disability.” Teresa shared that…, Teresa Di Manno, Team Leader, Recruitment Department for Child Protection Teresa adds, “Partnering with JobAccess made us more proactive. Now, we can identify and address workplace barriers more easily. We’ve also made other adjustments, including changes to our recruitment process, improved workplace accessibility, and inclusive communication.” “JobAccess has helped us create a more supportive and accessible…, A cultural shift within the Department, Teresa shares that the support DCP received from the NDRC team was tremendous. “JobAccess has helped position us as a more inclusive employer, which we are committed to maintaining.” , Teresa Di Manno, Team Leader, Recruitment Department for Child Protection “We’ve seen a significant cultural shift within DCP. Our understanding of disability inclusion has deepened.” Teresa concludes, “JobAccess has helped position us as a more inclusive employer, which we are committed to maintaining.” , Are you looking to build a disability confident workplace? Talk to the experts., , The National Disability Recruitment Coordinator (NDRC) partners with larger employers. The team works with employers to create inclusive workplace policies that support disability employment. The NDRC also provides a vacancy distribution service to employers – big or small. Call JobAccess at 1800 464 800 to connect with the NDRC. You can also submit an online enquiry form through the JobAccess…
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Yarra Ranges Council is a local government council in Victoria. The Council wanted to improve access to jobs for people with disability. As part of its partnership with JobAccess, the organisation’s full recruitment process improved., Improving accessibility, The Council worked with JobAccess to make it easier for people with disability to access jobs within its organisation. The People and Culture team wanted to learn more about disability in the workplace and get advice from experts. That’s where the National Disability Recruitment Coordinator (NDRC) stepped in. The NDRC is JobAccess' service that works with employers. It partners with organisations…, Kate Freeman, is a Talent Acquisition Advisor at Yarra Ranges Council. She shares, “Our goal in engaging JobAccess was to improve disability awareness. We wanted to apply a disability perspective to our services. This includes our recruitment processes, policies, and procedures. Our aim was to improve our disability employment accessibility.” , Enhancing the hiring process, The Council worked with an NDRC Professional Adviser to look at their hiring practices. They received advice on how to make applying for jobs an accessible and inclusive process for candidates with disability. The adviser also worked with the team on the Council’s goals for hiring people with disability. After a full recruitment review process, changes were made to job ads, systems, policies, and…, Nathan Deslandes, Head of People and Culture Operations Yarra Ranges Council, Nathan Deslandes, is Head of People and Culture Operations at Yarra Ranges Council. He says, “Our recruitment team now feels much more confident in applying a disability perspective. Job ads are more inclusive. There’s increased confidence in supporting candidates. And we advise hiring managers about inclusive interview practices.”, Building disability-confident workplace , The team is still working on improving their practices by taking courses on writing accessible content. They are also making other changes to improve inclusivity in their processes. “The adviser’s feedback has encouraged us to continually improve our approach to recruitment. His training provided some great insights. We’re now better at handling reasonable adjustment requests,” Nathan adds. …, Are you looking to build a disability confident workplace too? Talk to the experts., The National Disability Recruitment Coordinator (NDRC) works with employers, big or small, to help create inclusive workplace policies. They educate on good practice to support people with disability. The NDRC provides a vacancy distribution service to employers, workplace training and employer seminars on disability awareness., Call JobAccess at, 1800 464 800, to connect with the NDRC. You can also submit an online enquiry form through the, JobAccess website, .
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Stories
