Action 5.3C Source financial resources to effectively implement action plans and informal supports.

Guidance

It’s a common misconception that most reasonable accommodations are costly to implement. In fact, research from AHEAD indicates that two thirds of accommodations put in place do not incur any cost to the employer. Most involve relatively simple changes to work practices, and many that do incur a cost are readily available within the organisation already (e.g., software).

However, where costs are incurred, identifying and securing internal or external financial resources is crucial for effectively implementing action plans that support disabled employees.

By researching available funding options and grant processes, your organisation can ensure that necessary accommodations and supports are provided with minimal financial impact in a timely fashion.

Steps to Ensure Resources are Secured and Released in a Timely Fashion Include:

1. Get Informed About the Work and Access Fund: Investigate government grants and financial assistance programs designed to support disability inclusion in the workplace, in particular the Work and Access Fund. This fund assists employers and jobseekers in the NGO, not-for-profit, voluntary or self-employed, and private sectors to cover the costs of a variety of workplace supports such as in-work support/assistance, equipment/technology, communication supports and workplace adaptations. It also supports the costs of providing Disability Equality and Inclusion Training and needs assessments by external professionals. It’s useful to ensure that procedures around needs assessment and implementing support clearly assign responsibility to individuals to manage grant applications where necessary.

“(There are a range of) government grants for adaptations – employers either don’t know about them, (are) not interested to avail of them or don’t know how to start.”

WIDE Consultation Participant – Employer

2. Leverage Internal Resources: The Employment Equality Act states that employers reasonably accommodate a disabled employee, unless doing so would place a ‘disproportionate burden’ on them. However, when deciding what constitutes a disproportion burden in terms of the financial cost of an accommodation, case law has shown that the cost of the support in relation to overall the size and financial resources of the employer’s business are paramount. Depending on the scope and size of your organisation, it’s useful to consider creating a dedicated internal fund for reasonable accommodations and related expenses. Ensure clear and administratively simple processes exist to drawn down funds from this budget in a timely fashion.

“Check your eligibility for grants, and/or build supports costs into budgets and plans. The majority of supports are no cost so ensure managers are aware of what accommodations they can provide e.g. flexible hours, hybrid working flexibility, task management etc.”

WIDE Consultation Participant – Employer

3. Reduce Barriers to Implementing Low-Cost Support: Where possible, devolve authority to line managers to implement free and low-cost supports up to a certain limit without the need to engage in more formal support and needs assessment procedures. This is in line with a universal design approach and can ensure employees can access low-cost accommodations in a timely fashion with a minimum of fuss.

“We allow under €50 accommodations to be applied without too much (paperwork) – its flexible and quicker… €50 might not sound like much, but many accommodations are not that expensive”.

WIDE Consultation Participant – Employer

By researching and securing financial resources for support, your organisation can effectively implement action plans that enhance the workplace experience for disabled employees. This proactive approach not only ensures compliance with legal obligations but also demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity and equity.