Redefining the Inclusive Workplace: The Graying Effect

The "graying" effect. It's a significant human capital issue that is prompting America's employers to rethink the way they approach age and work. Every day, more and more workers turn age 65, but instead of retiring, many are choosing to stay on the job longer due to economic considerations and shifting expectations about retirement.

This is good news for employee retention. However, many of these skilled, experienced workers will develop disabilities as they age, or existing disabilities will affect them more. So to retain their talents and maintain productivity, employers are learning to implement a variety of inclusive workplace practices, most of which benefit all workers.

So called "older workers" may not realize that disability policies apply to them, but they know that they need or want to work. They also know what tools they need to do their jobs — whether it be a computer screen magnifier, an ergonomic chair or a flexible schedule to accommodate medical appointments. Similarly, employers may not be thinking about their talent management strategies as disability management responsibilities, but they're probably using similar strategies to retain valued workers with and without disabilities and ensure they are productive.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy offers a range of resources related to older workers as well as practices to help retain them, such as flexible work arrangements and accommodations. Such inclusive practices enhance corporate continuity efforts. What's more, they foster innovation by adding age-diverse perspectives when confronting business challenges to achieve success.

Source: ODEP

This information is intended to be educational and should not be considered legal advice on any specific matter.

Join Us for a #VetsJobsChat on Employment Resources for Disabled Veterans

Our Twitter chats with @USDOL and @ActingSecHarris on veterans’ employment issues have been growing since we held our first #VetsJobsChat in May, and we’re coming back on Wednesday, July 10, from 2–3 p.m. EDT to bring you answers to your questions about employment programs for veterans.

Each chat has expanded in scope and brought together a greater coalition of organizations and institutions devoted to helping veterans find jobs. This time, we’re focusing on employment services for veterans with disabilities, and we’ll be joined by the Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, its Office of Disability Employment Policy, several national veterans service organizations, employers, representatives from local American Jobs Centers, experts from the armed services and more.

Are you a disabled veteran who has questions about navigating a civilian job search? An employer looking to hire disabled veterans but are not sure where to start? Do you have friends or family struggling to find a job after transitioning from military service? We want to make sure veterans and employers have the information they need to find the programs or services that meet their needs.

Use the hashtag #VetsJobsChat to submit your questions leading up to the chat or during the live hourlong conversation. You can also email your questions in advance to Contact.VETS@dol.gov.

Source: DOL
 

This information is intended to be educational and should not be considered legal advice on any specific matter.

US Labor Department's Office of Disability Employment Policy announces theme for National Disability Employment Awareness Month October 2013

"Because We Are EQUAL to the Task" is the theme of this year's National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Chosen by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, the theme reflects the reality that people with disabilities have the education, training, experience and desire to be successful in the workplace.

"When I was growing up, many people doubted what I could do just because I was blind. But because I had people in my life who instilled in me an expectation of work and showed me opportunities to be successful, I completed college and became known for what I can do," said Kathy Martinez, assistant secretary of labor for disability employment policy. "I urge all employers to benefit from the skills of workers with disabilities by giving them, including our returning veterans, a chance to show that they, too, are equal to the task."

This year's theme echoes the message of ODEP's ongoing Campaign for Disability Employment to promote positive employment outcomes for people with disabilities and expand ideas about what youths with disabilities cando when they receive encouragement and support for their ambitions. Conducted in collaboration with business and disability organizations, the campaign emphasizes that, at work, it is what people can do that matters. More information about the Campaign for Disability Employment is available at http://www.whatcanyoudocampaign.org.

Recognized in some form since 1945 when Congress designated a week in October as "National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week," National Disability Employment Awareness Month is a culmination of ODEP's year-long efforts to raise awareness about the value of employing people with disabilities. The theme is announced well in advance of October to enable communities throughout the nation to plan announcements and activities to recognize the month and celebrate the many and varied contributions of America's workers with disabilities. Such activities include proclamations, public awareness programs and job fairs that enhance awareness, create opportunities, or showcase the abilities and talents of workers with disabilities. Resources for participation and more information are available on ODEP's Web pages at http://www.dol.gov/odep by selecting NDEAM from among the topics listed.

Source: DOL

This information is intended to be educational and should not be considered legal advice on any specific matter.

Join the Conversation to Make Change Happen

Youth with disabilities, like all young people, should grow up expecting to work and succeed. It’s critical that parents, educators and other influential adults reinforce this expectation, and the messages can’t start early enough. Of course, our nation’s education and employment policy must also cultivate a clear vision of work and community participation for young people with disabilities.

I was born blind and grew up in a large family. My sister Peggy was also born blind. We were the middle of six children, and there was no diagnosis for our blindness. But we were incredibly lucky because from a young age, our parents instilled in us an expectation of work. Fortunately — or unfortunately, depending on which way you look at it — this expectation started with household chores. And while I liked emptying the garbage as much as any teenager, I realize today that those chores taught me lessons about responsibility and accountability that are still relevant in my professional life.

Not all adults shared my parents’ expectations, however. So my parents often had to advocate for us. For instance, they fought for me, and later Peggy, to attend our local public school instead of a special one for the blind far away from our home and community. Basically, when my parents couldn’t wait for change, they made change happen.

 

That was good training for me, because today it’s my job as head of the Office of Disability Employment Policy. Each day, my ODEP colleagues and I work to make change happen. One of the changes we are working on is how to create more opportunities for youth with disabilities to successfully transition from school to adulthood and the world of work. Towards that end, we — in collaboration with the U.S. departments of Education and Health and Human Services and the Social Security Administration — are hosting an online dialogue May 13-27, 2013.

The purpose of this dialogue is to examine the impact of existing federal regulations and legislation on the transition from school to work for youth with disabilities. Compared to their peers without disabilities, these young people are twice as likely to drop out of school and half as likely to enroll in and complete postsecondary education. We’re enlisting the public’s help to change these outcomes.

Everyone with a stake in providing a pathway for youth to live, work and thrive in their communities is invited to visit the website and share their opinions. The website will be accessible and moderated. By submitting your ideas as well as commenting on and rating those of others, you will be providing important information that can help our agencies better align our policies, programs and practices.

Together, we can make change happen on behalf of America’s youth with disabilities.

Kathy Martinez is the assistant secretary of labor for disability employment policy.

This information is intended to be educational and should not be considered legal advice on any specific matter.

DOL Releases Brief Offering Tips for Healthcare Industry Employers on their Aging Workers

The Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment has released a brief – The Aging Workface: Challenges for the Healthcare Industry Workforce – that addresses the aging American workforce, provides examples of current initiatives healthcare employers are using, and discusses strategies and promising practices for employers and policymakers.

Make no mistake, the American workforce is aging. By 2016, one-third of the total U.S. workforce will be 50 years or older. By 2020, that group may reach 115 million individuals. The challenges in healthcare will be even greater, as that workforce is already older than workers in many other industry sectors. The average age of a registered nurse in the U.S. is 50; by 2020, nearly half of all RNs will reach traditional retirement age. Nearly one-quarter of physicians are 60 years or older, according to a 2007 nationwide study.

Combine these trends with a growing older general population and an expanded group of patients covered by the Affordable Care Act, and it is easy to understand the challenges healthcare employers face: More patients needing high quality healthcare services and potentially fewer workers to meet those needs. In addition, an aging healthcare workforce presents its own problems. Healthcare workers with acquired disabilities and other age-related health conditions may reduce a facility’s functional capacity. Over time, the serious challenges facing healthcare employers will become plainly apparent.

The new DOL issue brief offers valuable insights, references to worthwhile resources, concrete examples of how some healthcare systems are addressing the needs of their aging workers, and thoughtful suggestions for employers and policymakers alike.

Source: Craig Brown

This information is intended to be educational and should not be considered legal advice on any specific matter.

Accommodations for workers can help retain institutional knowledge

US Labor Department briefs offer recommendations for responding to aging workforce
 
Providing accommodations to aging workers with disabilities, chronic health problems or reduced work capacity can help employers retain experienced staff who might otherwise leave the workforce prematurely, according to two briefs issued today by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The briefs provide recommendations for state and federal policymakers, employers and health care industry leaders on retaining critical talent. One identifies successful strategies, including supportive policies, for retaining aging health care professionals without sacrificing patient care. The other recommends that employers and policymakers adopt early interventions to prevent disability-related job loss by providing workers with assistive technology and other workplace accommodations.
 
The briefs summarize assessments and recommendations from two conferences sponsored by the department's Office of Disability Employment Policy that gathered experts on aging, disability and employment to discuss the impact of aging on the national workforce and health care systems. The U.S Census Bureau projects that, by 2020, many of the 25 million baby boomers that make up more than 40 percent of the current U.S. labor force will exit, leaving many jobs unfilled and taking decades of accumulated knowledge with them. In addition, as the population ages, the demand for health care services will increase just as many health care workers are facing retirement.

"A confluence of demographic, economic, and health factors have intersected to make the employment situation of older Americans a matter of urgent national importance," said Kathy Martinez, assistant secretary of labor for disability employment policy. "By promoting workforce flexibility, harnessing widespread advances in assistive technology, and using other types of workplace accommodations, we can slow the mass exodus of older workers in health care and other industries, and continue to benefit from the knowledge and skills they bring."

Source: DOL
 

This information is intended to be educational and should not be considered legal advice on any specific matter.

Candidates with disabilities await employers

Source: U.S. Department of Labor

 

The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense's Office of Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity, today launched the 2013 Workforce Recruitment Program database, a recruitment resource for employers seeking a diverse workforce that includes employees with disabilities.

The database contains profiles of postsecondary students and recent graduates with disabilities, including veterans, representing a wide variety of academic backgrounds and degree levels. Candidates who are seeking summer employment as well as recent graduates looking for regular full-time positions have been interviewed and pre-screened by federal recruiters.

Click here for more.

This information is intended to be educational and should not be considered legal advice on any specific matter.

Department of Labor seeks submissions for disability employment app challenge

Source:  ODEP News Release

The Department of Labor's (DOL) Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) today announced the launch of its first disability-related application challenge, which is designed to generate innovative tools that will improve employment opportunities and outcomes for people with disabilities.

The goal of the app challenge is to promote recruitment resources for employers, develop job training and skill-building tools for job seekers, facilitate employment-related transportation options and expand information communication technology accessibility.

Submissions should provide access to important data and resources; attract users with different skill sets and language preferences; be accessible (that is, compatible and interoperable with assistive technology commonly used by individuals with disabilities, such as screen reading and speech recognition software); and consider partnerships that will ensure sustainability of the app. In addition, they should be targeted toward a variety of audiences such as students, teachers, employers, career counselors and workforce professionals, as well as individuals with disabilities working or seeking work at all levels in a variety of salaried and hourly jobs.

Awards with cash prizes — totaling $10,000 — will be given to the top three submissions, including the grand prize Innovation Award, the second prize People's Choice Award, and the third prize Above and Beyond Accessibility Award. The winners will be featured prominently on ODEP's website, http://www.dol.gov/odep/, as well as at http://disability.gov and through other public outreach vehicles.

Contestants must register for the contest on the Challenge.gov website by creating an account at http://challenge.gov/users/login. Each registrant will receive a confirmation email and may then enter a submission via the "Post a Submission" tab at http://disability.challenge.gov. Submissions must be entered between May 23 at 12 a.m. EDT and Aug. 23 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Late entries will not be eligible for prizes.

Read the full news release

This information is intended to be educational and should not be considered legal advice on any specific matter.