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.
Related Items
Not FDIC/NCUA/NCUSIF Insured | Not a Deposit of a Bank/Credit Union | May Lose Value | Not Back/Credit Union Guaranteed | Not insured by Any Federal Government Agency
Neither Voya® nor its affiliated companies or representatives provide tax or legal advice. Please consult a tax adviser or attorney before making a tax-related investment/insurance decision. Products and services offered through the Voya® family of companies.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Caregiver Resources & Long-Term Care (2017)
- 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
- Brandon Rigoni and Bailey Nelson, “Many Millennials Are Job-Hoppers – But Not All,” Gallup, 8/9/2016