Making it easier for small business to employ people with disability

The focus of this research report is to understand and uncover relevant enablers and initiatives for small and medium business owners that will make it easier to employ a person with disability. This includes identifying ways in which government can help to reduce the red tape and identify any regulatory impediments or perceptions of regulatory impediments that may be a barrier or disincentive for businesses to employ people with disability. 

The research project explored a range of existing academic literature, industry studies and government inquiries into employing people with a disability to inform its design. The study specifically targets small and medium business owners who employ between 1 and 49 staff across Australia and across diverse industries. 

Key findings

• Half of SMEs interviewed (50%) have employed a person with disability in the workplace (29% currently and 21% previously). Micro SME business owners employing between 1 to 4 people were least likely to employ a person with disability.
• The vast majority of SME employers (69%) stated that employing someone with a disability delivered a positive employment outcome for their business, and more than half said their experience was ‘very positive’.
• Barries getting in the way of recruitment included:
  • time and complexities involved in applying for funding for workplace modifications or wage subsidies,
  • different disabilities pose different challenges, and many are unsure how to deal with this due to limited understanding about disability and supports required
  • a lack of easily accessible information and advice about how to hire a person with disability

Recommendations

1. Government develops and trials a new small-scale program aimed at supporting SME employers throughout the recruitment and employment process, including transition to work supports, workplace preparedness and on the job training/support.
2. The Job Access website—and other government materials aimed at communicating and promoting disability employment services, funding assistance and support service—be reviewed and updated to include material specifically relevant to small business, with a section targeted specifically at SMEs.
3. The Department of Social Services review all existing application and compliance processes available through JobAccess to streamline and make processes more efficient and manageable from a small business employer perspective.
4. New information resources be developed, through codesign with small businesses, which ‘demystifies’ disability and employing people with disability.
5. A national forum is convened of government representatives, disability consumer organisations, small business organisations and disability service organisations (including Disability Employment Services representatives) to identify a series of mutually beneficial new approaches and initiatives to overcome the identified barriers at the national and local level.