Checklist for employers to help be more inclusive of the disabilities community

Attract, retain and support employees with disabilities and caregivers

  • Nearly 66 million Americans — one in five — care for an aging, seriously ill, or disabled family member or friend¹.
  • Three in four employers report caregivers being stressed at work as an issue for their company².

Employers can make a difference by being inclusive of employees with disabilities and employees with caregiving responsibilities. From inclusive hiring practices, to communication, to employee benefits, this checklist can be a guide to see where your company is today, and where you might be able to improve.

To-do items for employers:

  • Build a culture of understanding.
    • Help individuals with disabilities and caregivers feel comfortable disclosing their disability or special needs situation.
  • Provide support groups for caregivers and employee assistance programs (EAPs).
  • Help make sure caregivers and employees with disabilities know they aren’t alone.
  • Build inclusive hiring and employment practices.
    • Include accessible workspaces, technology, and participate in the Disability Equality Index at DisabilityIN.
  • Include guidance and language for beneficiary planning.
  • Educate employees about potential ramifications to government benefits eligibility.
  • Focus on flexible work schedules and paid family leave.
    • Help employees who are in need of time away from work, but depend on their income to make ends meet, to balance their work and caregiving responsibilities.
  • Review existing employee benefits package.
    • Demonstrate to employees how to make the most of the valuable benefits already offered.
  • Offer special needs planning resources and financial planning guidance.
    • Financial wellness programs
    • Online tools for document creation and storage, including Letter of Intent and special needs trusts
    • Informational resources like Voyacares.com
  • Offer benefits that are of specific interest to employees with disabilities and caregivers.
    • ABLE accounts
    • Paid caregiver leave
    • Care coordination programs

Download a copy of this Caregiver Employer Checklist (PDF).

Learn more about these strategies and how to implement them in your organization with our whitepaper.

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  1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Caregiver Resources & Long-Term Care (2017)
  2. Findings of an online survey of 510 HR Decision Makers respondents and an online survey of 1,815 employee respondents, both conducted by Voya Cares® in partnership with Lieberman Research Worldwide (LRW) during the period of December 2, 2018 – January 14, 2019
  3. Brandon Rigoni and Bailey Nelson, “Many Millennials Are Job-Hoppers – But Not All,” Gallup, 8/9/2016
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