Get advice on creating a workplace includes all employees. This includes awareness training for your team, making adjustments, and knowing the relevant laws.
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Articles
One in 5 Australians lives with disability. Having an accessible workplace makes good sense for your business and your employees., What is workplace accessibility?, Accessibility means removing barriers. It is to ensure equal access for all, including those with disability. This can include looking at: design of a building, such as its lighting, signs and parking the setup of workspaces technology and equipment employees use. It is against the law in Australia to discriminate against a person with disability. This includes in terms of employment, using…, Assessing your workplace accessibility, An access auditor can help assess how accessible your workplace is now. They will study your site and facilities and note any work needed to improve access. Many auditors will also work out the cost of the changes and advise you on how to comply with the law. To find an access auditor near you, visit the Access Consultants Association Access Consultants Association . You should regularly check…, Changes you can make now, There might be some things that you can do now to make your workplace more accessible. And they don’t need to be expensive. For example, you could rearrange the furniture for wheelchairs. Or, add a ramp to enable access your workplace. A Developing a disability action plan disability action plan can ensure your workplace and services arere accessible and non-discriminatory to people with…, Policies and programs , To help create a flexible and accessible workplace, consider putting in place policies that deal with: equal employment opportunity or diversity Guidelines on reasonable adjustments reasonable adjustments and Flexible working arrangements flexible working arrangements accessibility handling disability information Helping staff return to work after injury or illness returning to work after injury…, Getting financial support, If you need to change the workplace to support employees with disabilities, the What is the Employment Assistance Fund Employment Assistance Fund can help with the costs. For more information, contact a JobAccess Adviser by phoning 1800 464 800 1800 464 800 or fill out our Enquiry form enquiry form .
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, What is JobAccess?, JobAccess is the Australian Government’s hub for disability employment support. JobAccess services are delivered by GenU, on behalf of the Department of Social Services. JobAccess provides free, expert advice and services to: People with disability. Employers. Service providers. Since 2006, JobAccess has worked to break down disability employment barriers. The JobAccess program is known for its…, How JobAccess helps people with disability, We offer people with disability: Expert advice on finding and keeping a job Workplace adjustments and modifications through the Employment Assistance Fund (EAF) Financial support for assistive technology, training, and workplace accessibility Resources and guidance on employee rights and workplace support. The goal is to remove barriers for people with disability at work, helping them get work…, How JobAccess supports employers, Employing people with disability can boost workplace diversity, innovation, and productivity. JobAccess helps employers by providing:, Workplace Adjustments and the EAF, JobAccess helps both employers and employees access financial support for workplace changes. The EAF funding may cover: Assistive technology (e.g., screen reader software) Physical workplace modifications (e.g., accessible ramps, lighting, sound) Specific disability awareness training for staff Auslan interpreting services. We manage the entire process, including free workplace assessments if…, Building Disability-Confident Workplaces, The NDRC helps employers create accessible and equitable hiring practices. Through an employer partnership, you can receive: A dedicated advisor to review and advise on workplace policies Strategies to attract, hire and retain the careers of employees with disability Disability awareness training Recruitment guidance Job vacancy distribution service Read more about how the NDRC can help you build…, Why Inclusive Employment Matters, One in five Australians has a disability, but only half of those of working age have jobs. JobAccess helps bridge this gap. We equip employers with the tools to hire and support people with disability. Inclusive workplaces enjoy: Higher staff morale and loyalty Improved customer service and brand reputation Access to diverse skills and perspectives. Hiring people with disability isn’t just right—…, Get Started with JobAccess, Whether you're a jobseeker, need help at work, are an employer, or service provider, JobAccess can help you. Explore free resources at: https://www.jobaccess.gov.au/ Call our expert advisers: 1800 464 800 Together, we can create a more inclusive workforce for all.
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News
Flexible work can improve your employee’s work-life balance. This is important if they live with disability, injury or health condition. Flexible arrangements may benefit your business too., What are flexible working arrangements?, Flexible working arrangements are changes to standard work setups. They help support an employee with disability, illness or health condition. These changes can include things like giving them the option for: extra breaks if they have pain or fatigue flexible working hours if they have a condition that changes paid and unpaid leave negotiate their roster sharing a job with a co-worker working…, Benefits of flexible working arrangements, Flexibility can improve your employee’s work-life balance. This in turn helps your organisation. Being flexible can help you: attract and keep good people reduce stress for staff improve staff confidence and productivity. Supporting your employee through flexible arrangements can allow them to: manage personal and medical needs manage stress, anxiety or pain work at the times of the day when they…, Working from home, Many employers allow staff to work from home, depending on the type of work. This is sometimes a hybrid arrangement. For example, the employee works 2 or 3 days a week from home and is at the workplace the other days. You might want or need your employee to complete a trial period in the workplace before they work from home. , Working from home safety , When your employee works from home, their home becomes their workplace. Your organisation could be responsible if your employee gets an injury while working from home. You need to consider basic safety issues. These include: having enough light in the work area having enough air flow and fresh air working in an area that is not too noisy keeping equipment safe and in good working order. You may…, Working from home agreements, If an employee is going to work from home, it’s a good idea to have an agreement in writing. It means you can be sure about the conditions of work and who is responsible for what. Your agreement could include: who will buy and install any equipment, such as a computer or office furniture who will pay for work-related costs such as electricity, phone or internet how often your employee will need…, Agreeing to changes with your employee, Talk with your employee about what would help them to do their job. Talk to them about: what they need what their preferred working arrangements are and why putting their request for flexible arrangements in writing. You can negotiate an arrangement that meets both you and the employee’s needs. Making sure conversations are respectful Conversations must be respectful . Only ask how an employee’…
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At Circana, data is everything. Circana is a leading analytics company in the retail and FMCG sectors. They help companies understand what their customers are buying. But beyond numbers, Circana also want to create a workplace where everyone can thrive. That commitment led them to JobAccess., A Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion, Circana has always been passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). They want all staff to feel safe and supported at work. "DEI is a big focus of ours," Jessica, who leads recruitment for Circana across Australia and New Zealand, said. "We are passionate about embracing diversity in all its forms and creating a fair and inclusive workplace.” Circana reached out to JobAccess to…, Working With JobAccess, An National Disability Recruitment Coordinator (NDRC) adviser helped Circana review their hiring process and provided practical suggestions to remove barriers for candidates with disability and improve their hiring strategy. One key recommendation was to include an accessibility email address in their job adverts for applicants who need help with the process. “The recruitment review was really…, Looking Ahead, Circana will continue to work with JobAccess to improve its inclusive workplace. “I think we are at the very start of our journey. I’m looking forward to driving disability employment at Circana and would love for us to have hired more people with a disability by the end of the year!” When asked what advice she’d offer to other employers, Jessica didn’t hesitate. “Go for it! Some organisations…, Jessica, Talent Acquisition Lead at Circana Are you looking to build a disability confident workplace? Talk to the experts. The National Disability Recruitment Coordinator (NDRC) partners with employers to create inclusive workplace policies that support disability employment. The NDRC also provides a vacancy distribution service to employers. Call JobAccess at 1800 464 800 to connect with the NDRC. You…
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Stories
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 a How Disability Employment Services can help. Disability Employment Services provider , they might help. They can…
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Articles
Talk to your employees with disability as you would any other employee. Approach conversations in a way that makes people feel comfortable, valued and a part of the team., Keep questions related to the job, You can only ask questions about how an employee’s disability relates to their job. For example, you can ask: how you can change the workplace to help your employee do their job how you can change work hours or rosters to help your employee be more productive about keeping the workplace safe for your employee and other team members. You can’t ask personal questions about a person’s lifestyle. You…, Try not to be patronising, Don’t assume that a person with disability can’t do something – that’s for them to decide. Don’t say, ‘You’re such an inspiration’ when discussing their disability. The person with disability might not believe they are disadvantaged., Use positive and sensitive language, The type of language you use is just as important as what you talk about. Use positive, sensitive language when talking about, or to, a person with disability. For example: do say:, person with disability or person living with disability, don’t say:, disabled person or handicapped, do say:, the person has or experiences a particular condition, don’t say:, the person suffers from a condition, do say:, the person is a wheelchair user or uses a wheelchair, don’t say:, the person is confined to a wheelchair., It’s important to note that people have different preferences. Some people prefer identify-first language over person-first language. For example, they prefer ‘disabled person’ over ‘person with disability’. People with Disability Australia’s People with Disability Australia’s Language Guide Language Guide has more information and advice on respectful and inclusive language., Awareness training, Some courses improve disability awareness in your workplace. You may also be eligible for funding to support training for your staff.
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As an employer, you must make sure that all employees have a safe working environment. You can reduce the risk of injury and improve productivity with workspaces set up to meet the needs of your employees. , What is workplace ergonomics?, Workplace ergonomics is about designing workplaces and practices. They should let employees do their jobs without discomfort or fatigue. Ergonomics also reduces the risk of strain and injury. For example, due to sitting or standing in the same position for long periods. Setting up safe and comfortable workspaces can help your employees to work well and avoid injuries., Setting up workstations, People come in all shapes and sizes. Consider giving employees adjustable equipment. It will let them customise their workstations. Below are some ideas., Chairs, Office chairs should have adjustable seats and backrests. They should be adjusted so that: the employee doesn’t have to reach or hunch over they can place their feet on the floor or on a footrest their lower back is supported. If a chair has armrests, make sure they fit under the desk. If possible, test office chairs before buying them. People have different needs and preferences. , Footrests, Footrests can be fixed or adjustable in height and angle. They should support the employee’s feet without stopping the chair moving under the desk., Desks, If possible, provide height-adjustable desks. These are useful for employees who need to change their posture regularly to manage symptoms. Adjustable desks can also be used: for more than one task by more than one employee. , Computer monitors, Position monitors so that: they are about an arm’s length from where the employee sits when using the keyboard the employee’s eyes are level with the top third of the screen there is less glare from windows and lights., Keyboards, Position the keyboard so that the employee’s upper arms are by the sides. The forearms should be at a 90-degree angle and the wrists are in line with the arm. Keyboards should sit flat on the desk so that the employee can keep the correct wrist position., Mouses, Position the mouse as close to the keyboard as possible so that the employee doesn’t have to reach for it. The employee’s hand should be relaxed when using the mouse and rested when not using it., Laptops and tablets, If the employee uses a laptop or tablet for long periods, consider giving them an external mouse, keyboard and stand for the screen. , Other desk equipment, Place all other equipment the employee uses often, like the phone and reference materials, within easy reach. If the employee often needs to use the phone and computer at the same time, a hands-free phone, or headset could help. Ergonomics resources The University of Western Australia’s article on computer workstation ergonomics gives a lot more detail on how to set up workstations., Reducing strain and reaching, Along with having the correct workstation equipment, you can make other adjustments. They can reduce physical strain, reaching and overreaching., Reducing physical strain, Some ideas to reduce physical strain on the body include: store heavy and often used items at waist level set up work tasks to avoid twisting the spine, bending forwards or reaching away from the body use tools or equipment such as trolleys, jacks and hoists add stretch breaks into the work routine. Do this especially before, and after hard tasks. You could also consider whether employees can do…, Reducing reaching and overreaching, Some ideas to reduce reaching or overreaching include: put often used objects and tools within easy reach and in mid-range of the body put hand-operated controls, switches and levers between the employee’s elbow and shoulder height provide raised work platforms or step stools reduce an employee’s need to reach – for example, by having fewer reaching tasks or rotating jobs between employees., Other safe work tips, Other safe work practices include: rotate or split job tasks between different employees take breaks to change posture – for example, after every 20 to 30 minutes of sitting, the employee can do another task where they need to walk or stand for 2 to 3 minutes add regular stretches and exercises at work make sure employees are trained in operating equipment and safe work practices.
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