Employer attitudes toward employing disabled people

Research was commissioned in 2012 to explore New Zealand employers’ attitudes towards employing disabled people.

About the research

Employers were asked a range of questions in order to find out more about the qualities they looked for in potential employees, what they thought were the barriers to the employment of disabled people, about their attitudes towards disabled people, how they thought staff and customers perceived disabled staff and to what extent they were influenced in their employment decisions by the reactions of others.

Overall, there appears to be an apparent `hierarchy’ of disability where the type and severity of the impairment does appear to have an impact on employers’ perception of the employability of disabled people, regardless of whether someone is perceived as being capable of doing a job or not.

It appears that perceptions about how staff, customers and clients might react might be giving employers social permission not to hire disabled people.

The research was carried out by Point Research Ltd. It was completed in November 2012.

The Disability Confident campaign launched in 2016 supports employers to hire and retain disabled employees. The campaign includes information and resources.

Download the report

Read the executive summary

Background

This research has been commissioned by the Ministry of Social Development to better understand New Zealand employers’ attitudes towards employing disabled people.

Method

A total of 106 employers responded, half in interviews and half via an online survey. Respondents came from throughout New Zealand.

Employers were asked a range of questions in order to find out more about the qualities they looked for in potential employees, what they thought were the barriers to the employment of disabled people, about their attitudes towards disabled people, how they thought staff and customers perceived disabled staff and to what extent they were influenced in their employment decisions by the reactions of others.

Findings

Nine per cent had a disability themselves and two-thirds said they had a disabled person in their life.
Employers look for staff who are highly productive, skilled enough to do the job and no hassle (76 per cent).
When picturing disabled people, employers either see someone they know or picture someone ‘in a wheelchair.’
Most employers agree that there is a mismatch between the picture of an ideal employee and their picture of a disabled person.
Most employers agree that the low employment of disabled staff is a moderate to serious issue (87 per cent).
Around half (48 per cent) say that they do not have disabled people working in their organisation.
Those that have employed disabled people have made no or only minimal workplace accommodations and incurred no or only minimal costs.
One-third (34 per cent) believe that discrimination, perceptions and stereotypes about disabled people are barriers to employment in New Zealand workplaces.
Over half (59 per cent) thought there were barriers that stopped disabled people being employed in their own workplaces.
Most employers (97 per cent) felt that disabled people deserved a fair go.
Only one-quarter (25 per cent) felt that disabled people were well represented in their own organisations.
Most thought that attitudes towards disabled people, such as the hassle of employing disabled people, lower productivity, higher absentee rates and additional costs, were barriers to employment in their own workplaces. These attitudes do not appear to be mediated by experience. There were no differences between those who had employed disabled people and those who had not.
Other barriers to the employment of disabled people in their workplace included the concern that it would be a step into the unknown, a health and safety risk, unsettling for existing workers, that disabled people would not fit in, and that they would be different and “not like us.”
Most employers said that they would be unlikely or less likely to employ disabled people if they had a mental illness such as schizophrenia (65 per cent), were moderately intellectually disabled (60 per cent) or had a moderate to high speech impairment (60 per cent).
Some were less likely to employ people if they had a mental illness such as depression (47 per cent), had a moderate to high sight impairment (41 per cent), had a moderate to high hearing impairment (41 per cent), were severely disfigured in some way (38 per cent) or were in a wheelchair (36 per cent).
Many felt that staff would not be comfortable working alongside disabled people. Similarly many felt that their customers and clients would not be particularly comfortable dealing with disabled people.
Two-thirds (67 per cent) said they would be influenced by negative reactions from staff. Similarly, three-quarters (75 per cent) said that they would be influenced by the negative reactions of clients and customers.
Respondents were asked, based on their experiences, what information or support could be given to employers that might encourage them to hire disabled people. They suggested information explaining the condition or disability, financial support for any changes or accommodations required, and awareness training for staff and employers.

Conclusion

Overall, there appears to be an apparent `hierarchy’ of disability where the type and severity of the impairment does appear to have an impact on employers’ perception of the employability of disabled people, regardless of whether someone is perceived as being capable of doing a job or not.

It appears that perceptions about how staff, customers and clients might react might be giving employers social permission not to hire disabled people.

Despite New Zealand employers having a belief that disabled people deserve a fair go, and despite the largely positive experiences of those who have employed disabled people, it appears that addressing issues such as the perceived mismatch between an ideal employee and disabled people, and perceptions of others’ discomfort may need to be further explored to see whether they offer promise in helping to redress the underemployment of disabled people.