With too few employment opportunities for people with disabilities, one has to wonder whether the South African legal framework is failing them. South Africa has one of the best legal frameworks in the world, but it seems to fail people with disabilities. For example, the Employment Equity Act (EEA) is...
Employment
The medical aid imperative
Some companies don’t offer their employees medical aid as an added benefit; however, it could go a long way to benefiting employees with disabilities – especially as medical aid funds become less affordable Many employers offer wellness programmes and resources for their employees. These resources are meant to enhance the...
The path of skills development
The development of skills of people with disabilities is a worthwhile goal, but what happens afterwards? The Skills Development Act states that an employer should be spending about four percent of its skills budget on persons with disabilities. The Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) Act provides an employer with...
Employing people with disabilities is just good business
Employers can earn points on their Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) scorecard by employing people with disabilities, which translates into financial benefits and tax allowances. Employing people with disabilities could assist companies in achieving their ideal BBBEE status! Companies are required to have people with disabilities constitute 7,5 percent of...
An employment checklist
There are a few things companies should consider before they commit to employing people with disabilities. The employment of persons with disabilities has become an important consideration for businesses, as employers have to comply with legislation and reap the benefits that are associated with the employment of persons with disabilities....
Disability can benefit your company
Many companies mistakenly believe that hiring people with disabilities is inconvenient, but there are benefits. From qualifying for tax allowances to ducking hefty penalties, here are some of the perks. Disability employment is sometimes regarded as cumbersome for an employer. However, it is no different than the complicated processes that...
No special treatment
Making special learnership arrangements in the workplace for people with a disability might not be as helpful as you might expect South African Employers for Disability recently held a workshop where delegates examined the issues of transformation, diversity and inclusion in the workplace. There were some fascinating inputs, but one...
The good, the bad and the fair
What kind of effect does competition have in the workplace? Watching the Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games on television, and seeing the way in which these competitions spur the participants to amazing achievements, made me think about one of the great debates in the work arena: is competition in the...
Calling in sick
What can people with disabilities expect when they have to take additional time off work because of a complication or consequence of their disability? In terms of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, every employee is entitled to one day’s sick leave per month – or 36 days in a...
See me
Overcoming prejudice in the workplace is an important step towards ensuring the fair treatment of all employees. One of the greatest barriers to the employment of people with disabilities is not the physical access to business premises (although that remains a major issue), it’s attitude. Fear, ignorance and stereotypical views...