Workplace and Worker Factors in Workforce Accommodation and Retention

1
Workplace (and Worker) Factors in Workforce
Accommodation and Retention

• Rochelle Habeck, PhD, CRC
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• NIDRR RRTC Workplace Supports and Job Retention

2
Impact of DM Practice on Retention of Employees
with Disabilities Conclusions

• Accommodation/RTW(DM) as a process, not an event,
  extends employment
• Retention results from specialized staff, on
  site, with management support
• Diversity/disability hiring not linked to health
  and productivity (DM) aims of employers
• Mirrors the disconnect in public efforts to
  impact employment of people with disabilities
• How can hiring and retention be better linked in
  the workplace and public policy?

3
Impact of DM Practice on Retention of Employees
with Disabilities New Findings

• Blended funding used for hiring and retention
• Accommodation applied at front and back doors
• Behavioral health issues should be expected
• Employer provided opportunities for employee
  development impact employee attachment
• Supervisor buy-in and support for their role
• What should the criteria be for new partnership
  models that will accomplish retention?

4
DMEC-VCU Survey Advanced Employers Top Rated
Retention Practices

• Employees aware of benefits and services
• Compensation set fairly
• Organization has compelling mission
• Managers are credible, employees are treated
  equitably and with respect
• Employees are engaged with organization and their
  jobs

5
DMEC-VCU SurveyAdvanced Employers Top Rated ADM
Practices

• Consistently applied RTW process
• Very early intervention for all cases
• Supervisors see value of RTW
• Direct assistance to supervisors at job site
• Culture is employee oriented
• Integrated approach to benefits and claims
• Safety and risk prevention targeted upstream

6
DMEC-VCU SurveyInteresting Observations

• Retention ranked higher than legal compliance and
  cost control in motivating ADM
• 55 rate their retention efforts as effective
• 30 rate their ADM efforts as effective in
  delaying or preventing exits
• 50 are not able to place employees in another
  position when unable to accommodate in old job

7
DMEC-VCU SurveyInteresting Observations

• 75 at least moderately involved in diversity
  efforts, 35 include disability
• 40 see people with disabilities as a
  moderately viable source of labor
• 40 sometimes or frequently hire people with
  known disabilities
• 30 do not see hiring people with disabilities
  as benefit cost risk

8
DMEC-VCU SurveyInteresting Observations

• 45 think ADM could help in accommodating new
  employees with disabilities
• Mixed opinions about potential effectiveness of
  external incentives for preventing job exits

9
Future Research Directions

• Quantify actual impacts of ADM on retention
• Demonstrate onsite partnership models for
  disability hiring and retention programs
• Test ways to achieve adoption of best practice
  among employers and providers
• Require fidelity to best practice models in
  research, training and service
• Determine how and how much of disability that
  develops in the workplace is preventable