Most Employers Report No Cost or Low Cost for Accommodating Employees with Disabilities: Canadian Paraplegic Association

Most Employers Report No Cost or Low Cost for Accommodating Employees with Disabilities

Source: U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs - Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON � Almost half of the accommodations needed by employees and job applicants with disabilities cost absolutely nothing. Of those accommodations that do cost, the typical expenditure by employers is around $600, according to a study conducted by the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), a service of the U.S. Department of Labor�s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP).

�This new information indicates that for a very small investment in accommodations, an employer can hire or retain a good employee for the business,� said Roy Grizzard, assistant secretary of labor for disability employment policy. �This is a win for the employer and the worker.�

The real cost of providing accommodations for job applicants and employees with disabilities is just one of the issues ODEP is studying as part of a follow-up survey with employers who use the Job Accommodation Network. JAN is a free consulting service offering employers workplace accommodation solutions; technical assistance regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other disability-related legislation; and education on self-employment options.

As of December 2005, ODEP interviewed 890 employers who contacted JAN between January 2004 and June 2005. The employers represented a range of industry sectors and sizes. Preliminary findings illustrate some interesting and useful trends, including:

Employers want to provide accommodations to retain valued and qualified employees. Of the employers who called JAN for accommodation information and solutions, most were doing so to retain or promote current employees, 43% of whom had a college degree or higher.
Cost of accommodations is low. Of the employers that gave cost information, almost half reported no direct cost for the accommodation -- changing a work schedule is an example of a "no-cost" accommodation. The remainder said the accommodation, usually a one-time-only cost, resulted in a typical expense of $600.
Employers experience multiple direct and indirect benefits after making accommodations. These include retention of a qualified employee; elimination of costs of training a new employee, and increased productivity for the retained worker.

The accommodation study is ongoing through September 2007. For more information on the survey, contact the Job Accommodation Network at 800-526-7234 (V/TTY).