I realize that in this difficult time, a lot of businesses are struggling. Having a worldwide quarantine isn’t easy for a lot of businesses, and many are in danger of going under. I know that US, amongst many other governments are offering stimulus packages or loans to small businesses to keep them going. However, I heard a quote recently that ‘crisis breeds opportunity’. For many business owners, this is not business as usual, and you’re being forced to adapt. For some this means rethinking your business model, technology stack, and doing some internal shifts that are long overdue. During this process, one of the things you may do is spend some time thinking through HR policies, making sure you’re setup properly and good to go. Let’s explore a few of the basics:

When you first start out a small business, it’s highly likely that you do the majority of the work yourself and call in freelancers to complete the projects that you aren’t experienced in. But as time goes on, you’ll find that you need to free up your own time and start taking on permanent full-time or part-time members of staff. These individuals will be able to complete a range of tasks that will keep your company afloat, allowing you to focus on the areas that will help to drive your brand forward.

However, before taking on members of staff, it’s important that you’re aware of the sheer levels of responsibility this entails. Your employees will have rights and it’s essential that you accommodate these. One area that many business owners find themselves in trouble is not taking on members of staff with disabilities, as their commercial premises aren’t built to meet these individuals’ needs. It’s illegal to be prejudiced against any potential candidates because of a disability (amongst many other federally protected categories), so it’s absolutely essential that your business property is suitable so these individuals have just as good a chance of being hired. Here’s a little more information on this subject.

The Rules and Regulations

There are many legalities when it comes to employment and disability. Some that you need to be aware of include:

• Individuals with disabilities can’t be discriminated against. This means you cannot have a preference for able bodied individuals during the recruitment process.

• Individuals with disabilities are entitled to equal jobs and equal benefits to all other employees.

• It is up to your worker whether they want to tell you if they are disabled or not. You can’t conduct inquiries into whether they are disabled or have experienced disability in their lives.

• You cannot refuse to hire, employ, or contract with someone because they are known to have a disability or because they had some form of disability in the past.

• You cannot discharge an employee because they become disabled, as long as they are still able to complete tasks listed in their original job contract.

If you fail to abide by these rules, you will find yourself in need of a criminal defense lawyer, as individuals can press charges against you.

Making Adjustments

You may need to make adjustments to the workplace in order to meet disabled employees’ needs. This could include fitting ramps, ensuring all fire exits are accessible to all and ensuring desks and other equipment are suitable. You could also need to review your hiring policies, or internal review policies. Don’t overlook someone just because they may look different from you! Successful business are diverse businesses – in terms of their employees and customers!

It’s also worth spending time thinking about your customers. Would a customer that’s disabled have trouble accessing or receiving your goods/services? Those same ramps that help employees could help customers. Same goes for your website or other marketing materials. Consider reviewing your setup to make sure it’s accessible to all customers!

Disability Insurance

You should also take out disability insurance for your employees. This will provide them with a financial safety net should they struggle to work because of their existing disabilities, disabilities that may worsen or disabilities that they may develop at any point.

These are just the basics, but hopefully, they will help to open your eyes to the importance of making sure your business accommodates the needs of disabled individuals!

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