In March, QASA hosted an webinar on employment to discuss the Employment Equity Rights that people with disabilities are entitled to, the value that employees with disabilities can offer a business, and practical ways to improve your CV and interview skills.
Employment Equity
Rustim Ariefdien spoke on the Employment Equity Rights. He noted that people with disabilities have a constitutional right to a fair stage.
“Employment Equity is binding law built to protect you and actively correct past imbalances,” he shared. It encourages employers to look at the individuals abilities and qualifications regardless of physical or other limitations.
Aside from giving people with disabilities fair opportunities, the Employment Equity Act also requires employers to offer “reasonable accommodation” to enable the individual to do their job. One example of this might be installing a ramp so that a wheelchair user can enter the building.
“Employers think that accommodation is all about favours. It’s not,” Rustim shared. “An employer cannot say no unless they legally provide unjustifiable hardship.”
Unjustifiable hardship might include a request to install a lift for a two-storey building or a new wheelchair for the individual. The employer might need to look at alternatives like working from home if the position is suitable.
“You are fully entitled to the tools and environments that you need for you to be able to perform at your absolute best,” he adds.
Rustim further expanded on when you should disclose your disability and what questions employers are allowed to ask.
Value of disability
Ari Seirlis shared some insights into the value that people with disabilities offer businesses and provided some advice for jobseekers with disabilities. He started off his presentation with a word of caution: “Let’s not go and look for a job going to look for a fight. Let’s go looking for work looking for an opportunity. I could cite a few examples where people have gone looking for a transgression and then spent years trying to get their rights out of it.”
“The sad reality is that if they did win, the workplace wouldn’t be a friendly place for them if that was imposed upon the employer to employ them. I saw their mental health go down the drain. Let’s go knock on the door of an employer looking for opportunities to build and change our lives.”
He spoke on the qualities needed to success in the workplace, including:
Resilience: The ability to be productive and focused for many hours.
Bravery: The ability to go into a strange environment and build relationships with strangers.
Ambition: The desire to grow and advance in your career.
“Our pool of persons with disabilities ready to go and get employed is small. Find a job that you know you want to get and be serious about it,” Ari comments.
Wheelchair users also have a bit of a competitive advantage. As he mentions: “We sit very well. We know how to sit for a long time. That’s a competitive advantage.”
Employees with disabilities have also been shown to have high levels of loyalty. Additionally, employing people with disabilities boosts employee morale and makes the business look good!
“Organisations that employ people with disabilities are often regarded by their employees to be good employers,” Ari shares.
He concluded by encouraging people with disabilities to be brave and seek a job that they’d enjoy: “I’m not telling you to take a risk that you’re not comfortable with, but mainstream employment is far more lucrative than the SASSA grant.”
“It’s far more enjoyable once you embrace it. It has much more opportunities. So, I would suggest that if you took a leap of faith.”
CV writing
Chadley Muller concluded the webinar by sharing some practical advice for writing a good CV and confidently interviewing for a position. He started with emphasising the importance of keeping your CV short and precise. He recommended keeping it to one or two pages and adapting it to the specific role you are applying for. Just as important is good grammar.
“Your CV is a reflection of you; how you want to present yourself to the employer. Poor spelling and grammar are elementary errors and should not be tolerated. If there’s one spelling error, you will not be considered for the job,” Chadley shares.
Avoid including old or irrelevant information, such as your achievements from primary school. When there are gaps on your CV, it is advised to offer some explanation for what you were doing in between jobs.
Creating and maintaining a LinkedIn profile can also be greatly beneficial when seeking employment. You can share your achievements, highlight your skills and network with other professionals.
Most importantly, jobseekers should focus on what they can offer the company. As Chadley points out: “You’re offering value, not asking for support. You know what your strengths are. You know what value you can bring to the company.”
“Rejection is not personal. We’re not going to win in life all the time. There are times when we are going to face rejection and that is normal,” he adds, noting that rejection can offer good insight into what can be improved.
“Apply consistently, not emotionally,” he continues, adding that applying consistently and regularly will offer more opportunities to find an opportunity. Following up with requests sent out is also a good way to make sure you get feedback.
For the actual interview, it is important to look professional by dressing in formal colours (like dark blue or black), and wear neat clothing (ideally business wear like a blazer if possible).
Watch the full webinar
You can watch the full webinar below:
