"Inclusion succeeds!"
With this message, the BDA, together with the other leading business associations, is promoting more training and employment for people with disabilities.
Equal opportunities for people with disabilities to prove themselves in the workplace through performance are not only a sociopolitical task, but also make good business sense and are part of a living corporate culture. The equal participation of people with disabilities in working and professional life is an important social and labor market policy concern. Employers take this responsibility seriously and are actively committed to training, professional inclusion and the sustainable reduction of unemployment among people with disabilities. 1.1 million (BA 2018) severely disabled people in employment are proof of this. When used correctly, they are fully capable employees, who in many cases are particularly motivated to perform their tasks.
©AdobeStock Jenny Sturm
Inclusion in the best interest of the company
For years, the BDA and its member associations have been committed to breaking down the prejudice that "disabled equals underperforming" and encouraging companies to train, employ and retain more people with disabilities. The Internet side offers for this extensive information purposefully for employers. Coping with demographic change and the resulting shortage of skilled workers as well as aging workforces offer new opportunities, especially for people with disabilities. As part of a demographically sound HR policy, many companies are consciously using : Employees are deployed according to their strengths and supported in their weaknesses. The potential of people with disabilities and chronic illnesses in particular is increasingly being focused on. The majority of disabilities are not congenital, but are the result of an accident or illness. For companies, it is in their own interest to retain their affected employees, who often have been with the company for many years, precisely because of their experience.
Attitude counts - employers win" initiative aims to draw attention to potentials
With the launched in April 2019, the Federal Employment Agency, the Federal Ministry of Labor, the Federal Association of Integration Offices and Main Welfare Offices and the BDA want to jointly target primarily employers who, to their knowledge, do not train or employ severely disabled people. The initiative is supported by and . The initiative is intended to draw attention to the potential that often exists in employees with severe disabilities and at the same time offer employers information and support.
The discussion about the compensatory levy and the employment quota must take this into account: The number of unfilled compulsory jobs already significantly exceeds the number of unemployed people with severe disabilities. So even if all unemployed people with a severe disability could be integrated, the employment rate of 5% could still not be achieved.
Create interagency pilots for employers
The structured system of rehabilitation is difficult to understand, both for people with disabilities and for employers. In many cases, it is difficult to identify which agency is responsible for which support measures. Coordinated, fast, effective and company-oriented support and advice from the rehabilitation providers is crucial for success. However, there is still a lack of a competent cross-agency pilot for employers. The project conducted by the Bildungswerke der Wirtschaft - which is now being continued as the "Forum Wirtschaft und INKLUSION" (Forum for Business and Inclusion) - has impressively shown that such a central point of contact, which guides employers to the right consulting and support services offered by the rehabilitation providers, is important for employers. The medium-term goal should therefore be to create cross-agency pilots for employers who can quickly and unbureaucratically arrange for precisely tailored advice in the region.
Insights into practice with recommendations for action on the topic of inclusive leadership: "Inclusive leadership - how to succeed in the inclusion of people with disabilities in the company".
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On the topic of training: "Pretty much the best employees - experiences, facts and tips on inclusive training".
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Further information
On the topic of training: "Pretty much the best employees - experiences, facts and tips on inclusive training".
Further information
Special regulations must not lead to exclusion
The many well-intentioned special regulations for severely disabled employees make it difficult to break down the prejudice that unfortunately still sometimes exists among employees and employers that "severely disabled equals poorly performing" and to encourage companies to hire more severely disabled people. Many protective regulations often have the opposite effect of inclusion, in that they even create new additional barriers to hiring. Decisive for more participation of severely disabled people in working life are above all professional help and support to overcome objective obstacles as well as successful examples of successful integration and inclusion. The professionals in the employment agencies and the rehabilitation providers, and not least the integration offices and integration services, are called upon to play a key role here. It would be counterproductive to continue to suggest that people with disabilities have a lower level of performance per se through new - albeit often well-intentioned - protective regulations or further overregulation in disability law.
REHADAT information portal: With fourteen portals, numerous publications, apps and seminars, REHADAT is the central independent information service on occupational participation and inclusion of people with disabilities. The information is aimed at those affected, but also for companies. REHADAT is a project of the Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft Köln e.V., funded by the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS) from the Equalization Fund.
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Business is involved in many ways
Many companies are committed to improving inclusion. Successful examples of inclusion in the interest of all those involved, which are intended to inspire imitation, are also honored annually by the Inclusion Award for Business, which the UnternehmensForum awards together with the BA, the Diversity Charter and the BDA. The BDA will continue to disseminate successful examples such as these and thus demonstrate how living together in work and career can succeed.
Social partners active: In order to work together for greater inclusion in companies, BAVC and IG BCE signed a social partner agreement on inclusion in Hanover on September 2, 2020. The agreement provides for nine fields of action. Above all, awareness in companies of the importance of inclusion is to be improved and concrete offers of help are to be pointed out.
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