NEWS
New study reveals the best industries for disabled workers UKS Mobility, a disability aid supplier in the UK have conducted a study into disability accommodation in the workplace, revealing the Public Sector as one of the best industries for disabled people to work in. The study used data from the Labour Force Survey, as well as an investigation of the businesses signed up to the Disability Confident scheme to analyse disability accommodation at work.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Armed Forces and Warehouse & Forklift industries have no businesses above Committed, which could suggest that disability accommodation should be a major focus for employers in these sectors.
The Public Sector has the most businesses, which hold “Leader” and “Employer” status on the Disability Confident scheme, with 10% of the 1,000 businesses being recognised as Leaders.
The study by UKS Mobility also revealed:
This is followed by Administration, which had the third-highest percentage of Leaders (2.68%) but had a higher percentage of Employers (26.44%). This is compared with third-place Energy, Utilities and Environment, which boasts 2.78% Leaders and 17.36% Employers. The scheme is used by over 20,000 businesses across the UK and showcases employers’ commitment to equity for disabled people.
Ethnicity and gender pay gaps priority for firms but many still struggle to level the playing field For many UK employers, pay gap reporting remains a key priority but little progress has been made on reducing gender and ethnicity pay gaps. According to Mercer’s new UK Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap
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Scotland has the second-lowest rate of unemployment (2.7%) for non-disabled people but the second-highest employment gap (4.9%) for disabled workers.
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Of those who are economically active, disabled people are still twice as likely to be unemployed.
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Mental illnesses and disabilities like depression, autism and epilepsy have an unemployment rate as much as 360% times higher than those with physical disabilities.
trends report, three-quarters (75%) of respondents disagreed with the government’s decision to suspend gender pay gap reporting in 2020. Although almost three quarters (74%) of respondents reported their numbers to show a continued commitment for inclusion despite the suspension, there has been minimal progress made in closing the gap. The report reveals that fewer than one in three (30%) employers reduced its gender pay gap by 2% between 2019 and 2020. Alarmingly, nearly one in five employers (18%) reported an increase in pay gap from 2019 to 2020. Recently reported government figures on the UK gender pay gap numbers suggest a median gap of 10.4% for 2020, compared to 9.7% from 2019. A similar theme to Mercer’s 2021
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Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap Trends survey. Michelle Sequeira, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consulting Leader, Mercer UK said: “Our research reveals employers are struggling to narrow their pay gaps. Key drivers of pay gaps range from issues with attracting and retaining women to failing to eliminate the barriers to career progression that prevent female and diverse employees from entering more senior roles.” Following many unfortunate events globally surrounding race, employers are now looking beyond gender. Nearly two-thirds (65%) supported legislation enabling ethnicity pay gaps to be reported on and addressed and almost half (45%) of respondents claimed they felt under pressure to conduct ethnicity pay gap analysis.
