Rehiring an employee after an injury or illness benefits both of you. With some simple planning you can help make their return a success., Step 1: Meet with your employee, Your employee is the best source of information about what they can and can’t do and what support they need. You should meet with them to discuss their situation. You should: ask your employee if their doctor has approved a date to return to work talk about whether your employee needs to ease back into work. For example, at first they might work fewer days or hours, or have fewer duties. If you…, Step 2: Review the essential tasks of the job, Look at the tasks your employee must do to get the job done. You can find this information in their job description. You should: review the job description with your employee check if your employee can do the essential tasks consider if the employee will need any training talk about whether you can make any workplace changes to help your employee do the job., Step 3: Make workplace adjustments, Make any changes needed before your employee returns to work. Depending on their needs, these changes might include: physical changes to their workspace new or different equipment or technology changes to work tasks changes to when the employee takes breaks. You and your employee might get financial support from the Employment Assistance Fund . It can help cover the costs for workplace…, Step 4: Agree on a ‘return to work’ plan, Your organisation can create a ‘return to work’ plan or a rehabilitation expert can help do this. A plan could include: your employee’s job title a list of your employee’s duties starting and finishing times break times any restrictions or advice –your employee’s medical certificate will include these the supervisors or managers who will support your employee’s return to work a schedule to…, Step 5: Apply for any financial and other support, You and your employee might be eligible for support services and funding. If your employee struggles with some core tasks due to injury, illness or disability, they could get support through Ongoing Support . To change your employee’s wage based on how much work they can do, consider an assessment under the Supported Wage System. The Employment Assistance Fund can help. You need to apply and get…, Step 6: Get your other team members on board, To ensure a smooth return for the employee, inform the team of any changes to the workplace. Your communication must also be appropriate – for example, you need to protect the employee’s privacy. It might also be helpful to arrange disability awareness training for your staff. Privacy reminder If an employee discloses they have disability, keep it private. To share information about an employee’s…
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If you’ve had time away from work due to your disability, injury, illness or health condition, you might be concerned about returning to your job. There are steps you can take to get the support you may need or make changes to your workplace., Step 1: Get advice from your doctor, Visit your doctor and give them a copy of your job description or task list, so they understand what you do in your job. This will help your doctor tell you when you can return to work. They might say it’s okay to return to work straight away or some time in the future. They might ask you to ease back into work. For example, at first you might work fewer days or hours, or have fewer duties. If…, Step 2: Plan to meet with your employer, You know more than anyone else about what you can and can’t do due to your disability, injury, illness or health condition. Plan to meet with your employer to discuss your situation and what support you might need. If you have a Inclusive Employment Australia provider , they can help you have the discussion with your employer., Step 3: Review the essential tasks of your job, With your employer or Inclusive Employment Australia provider, review your job description and work tasks. You and your employer or Inclusive Employment Australia provider might think about: if you can still do all the essential tasks what other or different tasks you can do if you need any training if you need changes to work times or other flexible arrangements any workplace changes your…, Funding and support available, You and your employer might be able to get support to cover the cost of workplace adjustments through the Employment Assistance Fund . This includes a free workplace assessment to help work out what changes you need. If you’re working and having trouble doing the essential tasks of your job because of an injury, disability or health condition, you may be eligible for support through Ongoing…, Step 4: Agree on a ‘return to work’ plan, Your employer might create a ‘return to work’ plan for you. Or a rehabilitation expert might prepare this. A plan could include: a new job title a list of your duties starting and finishing times break times any restrictions or recommendations – these might come from your medical certificate the supervisors or managers who will support your return to work a schedule for adding to your workload…, Step 5: Consider training and other support, You and your employer might decide you need to do some training. For example: ‘refresher’ training on your current skills training if you need to learn some new skills – for example, if you return to work with different job tasks retraining in work health and safety procedures. Mentoring or buddy programs can also help you in your return to work. This is when another employee gives you extra…
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There is training available to give staff and employers a better understanding of disability and inclusion at work. It can help you get the support you need and to support other staff members., Disability awareness training, Disability awareness training provides information and tips about disability in the workplace. It can help you and your co-workers: learn about different types of disability create a more supportive workplace communicate and work well together. If you think awareness training might help your workplace, your employer can: contact an organisation that provides training, such as the Australian…, Mental health first aid, Mental health first aid training can help you and your co-workers to support each other through mental health issues at work. The training gives you the knowledge and skills you need to support someone, as well as information about the types of help available. You can direct your employer to the Mental Health First Aid website for more information about training options., Other mental health resources, For tips and information to support mental health in the workplace, go to the Beyond Blue website. For advice about discussing your mental health with your employer, visit Talking about mental health at work ., Deaf awareness and Auslan training, If you’re deaf or have a hearing impairment, your co-workers can take part in deaf awareness training. This can give your workmates knowledge about: the lives and needs of people who are deaf or hard of hearing the Deaf community ways to better communicate with you at work. If you use Auslan, your co-workers could also do basic Auslan training. You or your employer can contact JobAccess for…, Financial support for awareness training, Your employer may be able to get financial help through the Employment Assistance Fund for staff to take part in awareness training. That includes training about disability, mental health, deafness and Auslan. You or your employer can contact JobAccess for advice.
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Stress in the workplace can affect anyone. There are many things you can do to stay positive at work. It’s important to know you can get support if you need it., What can cause stress?, There are several things that can cause stress, and everyone is different. Common causes of stress at work may include: not getting along with other employees doing the same thing for a long time too much work not enough work time pressures and deadlines changes in procedures or policies not having job security lack of opportunity for promotion. Other things at work that can affect people include…, What are some of the signs?, Some common signs of stress include: doubting yourself feeling upset or confused a fast heart rate headaches forgetting things making mistakes not communicating well changes in mood and getting angry easily drinking more alcohol or using drugs changes in sleep patterns, feeling tired and fatigue., What can you do to stay positive?, If stress is related to your workload, work area or co-workers, arrange to talk to your manager or supervisor about it. Discuss what changes you might need to reduce the stress. For example, getting help with some of your tasks, flexible hours, or moving your workspace. There are some other simple things you can do to help manage stress at work: make sure you take your breaks leave your workplace…, Where can you get help?, If you are feeling stressed you can get support. You can: talk to your supervisor, if you’re comfortable doing so talk to your Inclusive Employment Australia (DES) provider talk to your doctor or mental health clinician check if your workplace has counselling or support services. There are also resources online. You can find resources from mental health organisations, listed on the Australia…
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When interviewing people with disabilities, it is important to keep a few things in mind. These will help ensure a fair process for all. Think about what to adjust, what to ask in the interview and how you assess job applicants., Before the interview, It’s important to give all candidates a clear outline of what to expect in the recruitment process. This helps people decide if they will need support at any stage. By law, you must make any changes needed to help a candidate with disability take part in the interview. These are called ‘reasonable adjustments’. If an applicant discloses their disability, contact them. Ask if they need adjustments…, Examples of adjustments for an interview, Examples of adjustments and support might be: giving a person with vision impairment more detailed instructions and extra time to find your building. organising an Auslan interpreter for an interview with a person who is deaf. making sure the interview venue has clear access for a person who uses a wheelchair. For more on types of changes and what you must do, see Guidelines on reasonable…, Interview questions, Under the, Disability Discrimination Act, , it is illegal for employers to ask for details about a candidate’s disability. You can only ask questions about how their disability might affect how they do the job and work safely. You can ask about: changes to the workplace that will support them to do the job. changes to work hours or rosters to help them do better in the role. keeping the workplace safe for them and everyone else. You can’…, Types of questions you can ask, Will you need any special work arrangements so you can do your job? Will you need us to make any changes here in the workplace? Do you have ideas about good ways to do your job? Do you have ideas for making your workplace safe? Do you take any medication that might make it unsafe for you to do any of the job’s tasks? How will you let us know about medical appointments so we can change your work…, Types of questions you can’t ask, Do you take a lot of medication? Are you sick a lot? How many times a year do you go to the doctor? Are you going to be able to cope? Does your disability make you get angry with other people? Have you ever lost a job because of your disability?, Other assessments, Make sure any assessments in the recruitment process are in accessible formats. For example, if there is a written test, provide an option to give spoken responses if an applicant has trouble with fine hand coordination. All assessments must relate only to the basic requirements of the job. Any medical checks must relate to the job. Medicals should only test whether the applicant’s fitness or…, Financial support for adjustments, Your organisation may be eligible for financial assistance through the Employment Assistance Fund (EAF). The EAF can help cover any costs for changes and services to support people with disability in the workplace, this can include using an Auslan interpreter at an interview. To find out more, visit our Funding for changes in the workplace page or contact a JobAccess Adviser.
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Sometimes, you may need to adjust a role’s tasks. Do this to best suit an employee’s abilities, skills and needs. Making these types of changes may help improve their productivity and safety., How can I change or adjust tasks?, One way to change or adjust tasks is to swap an employee’s task that they find difficult with another employee. For example, you could swap: telephone tasks for filing tasks if your employee has a hearing impairment lifting and carrying tasks for desk tasks if your employee has a back injury complex problem-solving tasks for detail-oriented tasks if your employee has a mild intellectual…, How to work out what changes to make, Your employee might point out some tasks that don’t suit them or that they can’t do. Employees may also be able to provide suggestions on task swap. If your employees are confident and skilled, they will be more productive. This will benefit your organisation. If your employee has an How Disability Employment Services can help. Inclusive Employment Australia provider , they might help. They can…
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Cognitive impairment can affect how some one learns, understands and communicates. An employee may need support in one or more of these areas. There are a range of things you can do to support employees with cognitive impairment. See also our article about supporting problem solving, concentration and memory at work ., Cognitive differences at work, Cognitive impairment can include an intellectual or learning disability or an acquired brain injury. A cognitive impairment might affect how a person: communicates learns skills understands social cues. By giving your employee the right support, you can help them feel less stressed, more confident and able to perform better at work., Understanding the different ways people learn, People learn things in different ways. People often have a preferred way of learning based on their personal experiences. There are three basic learning styles: Visual – learning through seeing, you could use a diagram to explain something. Auditory – learning through hearing you could read out instructions. Tactile or kinaesthetic – learning through touching or moving, your employee may work…, Making workplace adjustments to support your staff, Think about how you share information, People with a cognitive impairment may have some difficulty with language. They may not have strong verbal communication skills. Think about the way you share and organise information. How you present information can affect how much the employee understands and remembers. You could also provide extra support and instructions in different ways., Using active learning, Some employees might learn better with active learning. Active learning means learning through, doing, things rather than listening to someone talk or reading a manual. Active learning can include role-plays, demonstrations, team activities, hands-on doing or games., Tips for training and giving instructions, To help your employees understand and follow instructions, you can: make sure you include regular breaks during training sessions, and time for new employees to walk around to explore the workplace give instructions in a quiet area with less distractions keep verbal instructions short and simple show or give instructions in the order that the employee needs to do the individual tasks check the…, Understanding industry and technical information, To help employees understand industry-specific or technical information, you can: create a glossary of technical terms and acronyms you use regularly offer employees more than one induction training session, or other training to build on the initial training rewrite detailed information so it’s clear for someone with little technical knowledge or industry experience avoid jargon where possible,…, Supporting people to communicate, Some people may know what they want to say, but have trouble ‘getting the words out’. To help employees, who have trouble communicating and expressing themselves, you can: provide speech generating devices, products that can help communication using signs, gestures, pictures, tactile feeling boards, real objects and printed words, may help provide tools such as graphic organisers, allowing people…, Helping employees understand social situations, Understanding a person’s verbal, and nonverbal behaviour and actions is important in social settings like the workplace. We listen to what is said, the tone of voice, body language, gestures and facial expressions when someone is communicating. If people struggle to understand social cues, they may miss things like: sarcasm or joking – some people may take what is said literally or as fact…, Where to get more support, Australian Government employment service providers like Inclusive Employment Australia can support people with disability and their employers. This includes coaching, mentoring and support on the job. To find an Inclusive Employment Australia provider near you, go to our list of Inclusive Employment Australia providers . A cognition and communication specialist or speech pathologist may also be…
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You can help employees who have difficulties with reading and writing and give them confidence to do their job and stay safe. This might include giving information in different ways and linking employees with support and training., Literacy at work, Employees need to be able to read and write in most workplaces. These skills can be hard for some people to learn. People who struggle with reading and writing can be more stressed at work, especially if they don’t tell their employer. There are a range of simple changes you can make to your workplace that can help. Keep in mind that people who have trouble reading, writing, and understanding…, Making workplace adjustments to support your employee, To help support your employees, you can: ask them how they best learn always make sure they understand by asking them to show you or repeat back in their own words what they’ve read create a glossary of common terms and acronyms so that employees can better understand ‘jargon’ and technical information write short, clear information and instructions with pictures, diagrams and summaries, instead…, Where to get more support, There are a range of training options, services and supports that can help: people who have difficulty with reading and writing at work support employers to improve workplace literacy. Did you know the Employment Assistance Fund (EAF) may be able to help with the costs of workplace changes and support services? For instance, we can fund 1:1 support in the workplace for an employee. A staff…, The Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) Program, Employers, seeking to improve the language, literacy, numeracy and digital skills of their workforce can access free training through the Skills for Education and Employment Program. By working with a SEE provider, they can tailor training that is suitable for the workplace and the employee. For more information about the program, visit SEE on the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations…, Inclusive Employment Australia providers, Australian Government employment service providers like Inclusive Employment Australia provide a range of help and support to people with disability and their employers. This includes coaching, mentoring and support on the job. To find an Inclusive Employment Australia provider near you, go to our list of Inclusive Employment Australia providers ., Reading Writing Hotline, The Reading Writing Hotline is a national telephone literacy referral service for adults. It can help people with reading, writing or basic maths by linking them to a group, one-on-one training or distance training. The hotline number is 1300 655 506 . For more information visit the Reading Writing Hotline website. The Hotline can also assist employers with literacy and numeracy training for…, Easy English services, Easy English or Easy Read translators may be able to help a person to better understand work-related information. They can break down complex information, explain it or change it into simple language, without ‘jargon’ or technical terms., Other training courses, Training courses through a Registered Training Organisation may help to improve reading and comprehension skills. For more information or to search for a course in your area visit the My Skills website.
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The Employment Assistance Fund (EAF) provides reimbursements to an Applicant for workplace modifications, equipment and services necessary for a person with disability to perform their employment duties. The EAF can help people whether they are working, about to start work, or self-employed. , What can you use the EAF for?, The EAF can fund changes related to workplaces, equipment and support services. This includes covering the cost of things like: Building modifications – such as automatic doors, lighting changes and ramps changes to work vehicles special equipment – including braille printers, joysticks or mouse alternatives and headsets assistive technology and communication devices – such as a hearing loop…, Who can use the EAF?, The EAF is to support eligible people with disability who are working, about to start work, or self-employed. Find out more at Who is eligible for the EAF . To use the EAF you need to apply. You can apply if you’re: an employer an employee self-employed a job seeker a service provider. Read more about the application process at Applying for the EAF ., The application process, You apply for the EAF online through JobAccess Secure . JobAccess Secure login To fill in the online form, you’ll need a few details about: the business and employer the employee’s start date the equipment, changes or services you need, including the cost if you know it., Step 1, You put in an application for the EAF., Step 2, JobAccess assesses the application. This can take up to 10 working days., Step 3, JobAccess lets you know if the application will go ahead and if you need a workplace assessment. If you do, JobAccess will arrange it for you for free., Step 4, After you get approval, you buy the items and services., Step 5, JobAccess pays back the costs. You can find more details about the process and the information you need to apply at Applying for the EAF . You can also download our step-by-step instructions for filling out the form in JobAccess Secure., Getting a workplace assessment, You can get a free workplace assessment through the EAF to help work out what changes or equipment will best support the employee. This is called a Workplace Modification Assessment. You usually need an assessment if you apply for more than $1,000 of funding through the EAF. Read more about getting a workplace assessment.
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