There has been a significant increase in the number of employers reporting on the proportion of staff with disabilities, according to research from the industry body for the group risk sector.
In 2023, only half of employers said that they collect information on the proportion of disabled people in their workforce, but this has risen to 71% this year, an increase of 21 percentage points.
The year-on-year increase is remarkable, and experts at GriD are pleased that more employers are getting a better understanding of the number of people affected by disabilities for whom they have a duty of care – especially when government data point towards more disabled people being employed overall.
According to the Office of National Statistics, there are currently 5.67m people with disabilities in the workplace, an increase on the same period in 2023 when the figure was 5.32m. While the previous government’s 2017 target of getting one million more disabled people into employment by 2027, appears to have been met, it also disguises the increase in the total number of those of working age and an increase in the number disabilities who are currently unemployed.
GRiD warns that collecting disability data itself is not the end game, and that it must be put to good use for an organisation and its employees to see the benefit.
Katharine Moxham, spokesperson for GRiD, said: “Improving employment practices for disabled people is important as that shapes an organisation’s approach, but employers must ensure they respond to the individual needs of both current and future employees.
“As it’s not mandatory for employees to report a disability to their employer, disability data is likely to under-report the numbers affected. However, if comprehensive support is put in place, it can be accessed by everyone whether they are able-bodied, have visible disabilities, or a non-apparent disability, whether they are newly disabled or have been living with a disability for a long time.”
They say group risk benefits such as employer-sponsored life assurance, income protection and critical illness can be key to providing the depth and breadth of support required for disabled employees, as they can provide help in key areas of employees’ lives including their physical, financial and mental health.
As well as supporting employees, there is much help embedded for the employer, such as legal and HR helplines to help them understand what adjustments their staff may need.
