National Disability Strategy – employment implications

The Government has published a National Disability Strategy setting out the actions it will take in line with its 2019 manifesto commitment to improve the everyday lives of all disabled people.

The Strategy states that there are 7 million working-age people with a disability or long-term health condition in the UK, but only a little over half are in work. Part 1 sets out the immediate commitments to improve the lives of disabled people and the steps that will be taken to improve their working lives.

National Disability Strategy – employment implications

Key commitments set out in the strategy for employers to be aware of include:

Transforming Access to Work. Access to Work provides support for disabled people at work that is not covered by an employers’ responsibility to make reasonable adjustments. The DWP will transform the Access to Work scheme into a digital service. It will also create an Access to Work Adjustments Passport to support disabled people with their transition into employment, which will be piloted in 2021. The Passport will provide disabled people with greater flexibility and smooth transitions between job roles, help build employer understanding of disability and adjustments, and remove the need for repeated disability assessments. A communication campaign to raise awareness of the scheme will be launched.

Working with ACAS to develop a new online advice hub. An online hub has been developed by BEIS in conjunction with ACAS and this has been available since July 2021. It has a remit of providing clear, accessible information and advice on employment rights for disabled people. This includes information on issues such as discrimination, reasonable adjustments, flexible working, fairness in redundancy situations and supporting mental health at work.

Disseminating best practice to employers. In 2021, DWP will develop and test an improved information and advice offer for employers. The aim is to provide a more tailored offer for employers that helps employers to support employees in a range of workplace situations. Best practice will also be shared through Disability Confident.

Consulting on disability workforce reporting. The Cabinet Office will consult on workforce reporting on disability for large employers, exploring voluntary and mandated workplace transparency, and will publish a set of next steps. The consultation will consider issues including the type of information and data employers could collect and ways to do this; tools and guidance to help employers report in a consistent and effective way; what might be reported to Government and whether the Government should publish it. The Government will also continue to raise awareness and encourage take up of the Voluntary Reporting Framework.

Strengthening rights for disabled people in the workplace. BEIS will launch a consultation by the end of 2021 on making flexible working the default unless employers have good reasons not to.

Introducing unpaid carers’ leave. BEIS will set out next steps in progressing the Government’s commitment to introduce unpaid carers’ leave by the end of 2021.

Comment

The Strategy is referred to as “the most far-reaching endeavour in this area for a generation or more, not merely a set of worthy aspirations but a concrete plan for the future”. However, a number of the commitments relate to consultation, reviews or pilots. It may be some time, therefore, before concrete changes are seen.

We can provide bespoke equality awareness training in your workplace for managers. Contact us to find out more.

13 August 2021

If you would like to receive monthly employment law updates and news of our events, sign up for our email alerts.

LAST POST