Taking care of ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally can be a challenge for anyone managing work and home life. For employees with disabilities, the aim to successfully manage disability-related needs amid other responsibilities, including work, can make self-care even more challenging.
Employers can play a critical role to support self-care for employees with disabilities.&nbsp;<a href="https://warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/new_study_shows/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Research</a>&nbsp;proves employees are more productive and engaged when they&rsquo;re happy at work. Conversely, workplace stress generally produces higher turnover, higher healthcare costs, and lower productivity. As a result, employers who create a culture of self-care in the workplace are more likely to experience overall business growth as a result of having engaged, healthy employees.
Formal employee wellness/wellbeing programs are on the rise in businesses of all industries and sizes. In fact, they are consistently included as a part of some companies&rsquo; benefits packages. Strong programs provide tools, resources, support that can include activities focused on stress reduction, weight loss, and smoking cessation. Other common programs include health risk assessments, health screenings, exercise and nutrition activities, and vaccination clinics.
How can I establish an Inclusive Culture of Self-Care in the Workplace?
Whether you&rsquo;re planning to develop an extensive employee wellness program, or implement a few wellness strategies, here are a few ideas to help you establish and cultivate a culture of self-care within your workplace that&rsquo;s inclusive of employees with disabilities:
<ol>
<li>Encourage Mindfulness&nbsp;&ndash; Many companies are incorporating mindfulness into their employee wellness programs, as it has proven to help employees take a proactive approach to managing their mental health, stress, and emotions in the workplace. For some employers, this includes hosting mindfulness practices, such as meditation trainings, lunchtime chair massages, or yoga sessions, including&nbsp;<a href="http://www.yourowngentleapproach.com/what-is-adaptive-yoga/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">adaptive yoga</a>&nbsp;for employees with disabilities. Others encourage use of free meditation apps, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.headspace.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Headspace</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.calm.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Calm</a>. &nbsp;</li>
<li>Offer Flexible Work Schedules&nbsp;&ndash; Employees with flexible work schedules are often more satisfied, as this allows them to better control their overall schedules and manage emergencies. For employees with disabilities, there are typically even greater benefits. Opportunities for flexible work schedules eliminate the need for stressful commutes; allow the ability to plan around disability-related needs, including doctors&rsquo; appointments and medication; and provide freedom to live in locations that are more beneficial for their needs (i.e. warmer climates). &nbsp;</li>
<li>Promote Physical Health, Including Adequate Rest&nbsp;&ndash; Physically healthy employees, including those who get enough rest, generally experience less exhaustion, more productivity, and reduced healthcare costs. Employers can encourage physical health in a variety of ways, from providing healthy snacks in break rooms and vending machines, to offering in-house workout classes or discounts/reimbursements for gym memberships. Additionally, some employers host activity groups, such as exercise clubs. Employers should allow space for each employee, no matter their physical abilities, to participate in such groups in whatever capacity they are able. &nbsp;</li>
<li>Celebrate Employees&rsquo; Work&nbsp;&ndash; Simply taking time to acknowledge employees work and accomplishments can significantly boost morale. Whether it&rsquo;s hitting a big milestone or managing a customer conflict, managers should seek out opportunities to affirm their employees for a job well-done. Not only does this prompt greater employee loyalty, but it also helps employees view their supervisors as trustworthy and feel more satisfied in their jobs. Even still, some employers set aside specific celebration days, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2017/02/27/5-ways-to-celebrate-employee-appreciation-day-friday-march-3rd/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Employee Appreciation Day</a>&nbsp;in March or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iaap-hq.org/page/AdminProDay" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Administrative Professionals Week</a>&nbsp;in April, to purposefully plan something for their employees. &nbsp;</li>
<li>Encourage Breaks, Including PTO&nbsp;&ndash; Taking regular breaks, ideally away from the work environment, can provide much needed rejuvenation. This includes taking a full lunch break away from the computer, along with mid-morning/afternoon breaks to refocus. Additionally, employers should foster a culture that encourages employees to take time off. Whether this is a longer vacation that&rsquo;s been planned, or a &ldquo;mental health day,&rdquo; employees should feel comfortable taking earned leave, and expectations regarding checking email and phone messages while taking leave should be communicated. &nbsp;</li>
<li>Set Realistic Expectations Around Technology Use&nbsp;&ndash; Constant access to technology often creates unspoken expectations regarding employee response times to emails and other messages. Employers should clearly communicate expectations about the types of circumstances that should warrant immediate response (i.e. an emergency), especially after work hours. Ideally, employees should be given opportunities to set their own communication boundaries that support their work styles. For some, this may mean immediately responding to emails at any time to help reduce their overall tasks. For others, this could mean setting strict time boundaries around when they will and will not respond to messages. This is especially helpful for employees with neurocognitive disabilities that perform best with structure and schedules. &nbsp;</li>
<li>Provide Social Support&nbsp;&ndash; Employees who are a part of a supportive work environment also prove to be happier and more productive. Employers should facilitate opportunities for employees to build relationships among their coworkers, including creating collaborative work spaces, hosting in- and out-of-office bonding activities, and developing internal mentorship programs. Workplace mentoring proves especially beneficial for employees with disabilities. Among other benefits, receiving guidance and support from mentors can help employees with disabilities navigate new work environments and relationships, identify and request appropriate accommodations to help ensure their success, and provide ideas to help with career growth. </li>
</ol>
In addition to incorporating wellness programs, some companies are partnering with consulting firms like&nbsp;<a href="https://theenergyproject.com/about/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Energy Project</a>&nbsp;to help them assess their practices and support employee growth through a scientifically-based approach to energizing people, ultimately helping employees perform at their best.
Companies that desire to retain employees and ensure overall employee satisfaction should make employee self-care a priority. For more ideas on how to incorporate self-care practices for employees with disabilities in your workplace, or to learn how you can better support your own self-care,&nbsp;contact the Getting Hired team.
Contributions to this blog were made by Andra&eacute;a LaVant of Solutions Marketing Group.&nbsp;

Support self-care for employees with disabilities to boost productivity and engagement. Learn how to create an inclusive culture.

7 Tips for Employers to Support Self-Care for Employees with Disabilities

For many people with disabilities, identifying themselves as such in the workplace evokes fear of discrimination and stigma. Self-Identification campaigns &ndash; typically referred to as Self-ID campaigns &ndash; are a great way for employers to prompt disability disclosure among their employees and continue to foster a culture of inclusion in the workplace.&nbsp;
Organizations planning to host a Self-ID campaign should provide multiple methods for collecting information from employees with disabilities. This can include allowing employees to self-identify anonymously, perhaps by sending out a general employee survey that includes the question, &ldquo;Do you have a disability?&rdquo; Some may use the U.S. Department of Labor&rsquo;s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs&rsquo; formal <a href="https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/sec503/self_id_forms/selfidforms.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form</a>, while others may have more public opportunities for employees to share personal stories about their disability-related experiences. Regardless of which method an employer uses, Self-ID campaigns have numerous benefits for both employees and employers. Here are our top 5:&nbsp; 
<ol>
<li>They can help employers measure their success in disability hiring.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
<a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ofccp/section-503" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Section 503</a> of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits federal contractors and subcontractors from discriminating in employment against individuals with disabilities and requires employers to take affirmative action to recruit, hire, promote, and retain these individuals. To continue to improve employment outcomes, employers must be able to measure their success in disability hiring, which means employees with disabilities must self-identify. However, it is always important to remember that compliance with regulations is only one reason to create an equitable workplace!&nbsp; 
<ol start="2">
<li> They push back against stigma.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
There is a long history of the stigma that comes with having a disability. This can manifest as a fear of disability, the mindset of seeing disability as undesirable, or, most insidiously, as ableism&ndash; discrimination in favor of non-disabled people. By hosting and participating in a Self-ID campaign, employers and employees both seize the opportunity to show that disability is simply another form of diversity, much like gender and sexual orientation. A diverse workplace is a dynamic workplace.&nbsp; 
<ol start="3">
<li> It&rsquo;s good for business.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
According to the <a href="https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_NES_DEI4.0_Toolkit_2020.pdf" rel="noopener" target="_blank">World Economic Forum&rsquo;s 2020 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 4.0</a> toolkit, teams that have a diverse makeup are up to 36% more likely to outperform on profitability and have up to 20% higher rates of innovation. The bottom line is that diversity, which includes disability, outperforms homogeneity. Furthermore, it can be enormously beneficial for an organization&rsquo;s makeup to reflect the population they seek to market to.&nbsp; 
<ol start="4">
<li> They calm fears of disability discrimination at work.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
One of the most common reasons employees choose not to disclose their disability is because they fear negative consequences in the workplace, such as discrimination. By taking a &ldquo;loud and proud&rdquo; stance on disability visibility, employers and employees alike show that they value disability and would not take negative action against a team member with a disability. Self-ID campaigns can take a variety of forms, ranging from anonymous surveys to putting a &ldquo;face&rdquo; to disability and featuring selected employees who self-identify as disabled.&nbsp; 
<ol start="5">
<li> They can be a catalyst for the creation of a vibrant Employee Resource Group (ERG).</li>
</ol>
People are naturally attracted to those they share similar experiences&ndash; the workplace is no exception. Learning about other team members' experiences and disabilities through a Self-ID campaign can be the catalyst for creating a disability-specific Employee Resource Group (ERG).&nbsp;
&nbsp;
There are numerous reasons to host a disability Self-ID campaign. While it&rsquo;s important to know the number of employees with disabilities an organization has, fostering more inclusive workplaces and creating better experiences for all employees is arguably more important.&nbsp;
 
&nbsp;
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Self-ID campaigns foster workplace inclusion, combat stigma, and improve disability hiring and business outcomes.

Five Ways Disability Self-ID Campaigns Benefit Workplace Culture | Getting Hired

Five Ways Disability Self-ID Campaigns Benefit Workplace Culture

November marks&nbsp;<a></a><a href="https://www.military.com/military-family-appreciation-month/president-proclaims-november-as-military-family-month.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">National Veterans and Military Families Month</a>, a time dedicated to honoring the significant contributions made by American service members, their families, and their loved ones. It&rsquo;s also a great time to assess progress and areas for improvement around veteran employment, including employment of veterans with disabilities.
According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://adata.org/factsheet/employment-data-veterans-disabilities" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ADA National Network</a>, 29.6 percent of working age veterans (those 21 to 64) have a disability. In 2018, the unemployment rate of veterans with disabilities was 5.2 percent, compared to 3.5 percent for veterans without disabilities. While more and more organizations are working to increase employment opportunities for veterans with disabilities, many employers still express concern about hiring and retaining veterans with disabilities.
One&nbsp;<a href="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/5057002/GettingHired_November2019/Pdfs/Beyond%20Yellow%20Ribbons%20JVR.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">survey</a>&nbsp;determined that when it comes to supporting veterans with disabilities, employers:
<ul>
<li>Struggle with accommodating veterans with the signature disabilities of PTSD, TBI and depression.</li>
<li>Are confused about resources related to recruiting or accommodating veterans with disabilities and therefore are not using these effectively.</li>
<li>Do not understand the disability disclosure rights of veterans with disabilities.</li>
</ul>
Service-connected vs. non-service-connected disability employment rates
There are not only disparities between the unemployment rates of veterans with disabilities compared to those without disabilities, but there is also a distinct difference in the&nbsp;<a href="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/5057002/GettingHired_November2019/Pdfs/vet.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">employment rates</a>&nbsp;of veterans with and without service-connected disabilities. Of working-age veterans with disabilities, 10.5 percent have non-service-connected disabilities. However,&nbsp;<a href="https://adata.org/factsheet/employment-data-veterans-disabilities" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">69 percent</a>&nbsp;of veterans with a service-connected disability are employed, while only 37 percent of veterans who report having a non-service-connected disability are employed.
What&rsquo;s the difference between a service-connected and non-service-connected disability?
Service-connected disabilities&nbsp;are defined as injuries or illnesses that are incurred in or aggravated by active military service. Examples include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and depression. A non-service-connected disability is any injury or illness that was not acquired as a result of active military service. For example, a veteran who acquires diabetes or has a stroke at some point after active military service could be considered one with a non-service-connected disability.
When it comes to employment, veterans whose disabilities are acquired or aggravated during active military service prove more likely to obtain jobs than veterans who have non-service-connected disabilities.
Why is the employment rate higher for veterans with service-connected disabilities than those without?
There are two likely reasons that veterans with service-connected disabilities experience higher employment rates:
<ol>
<li>Higher prevalence of organizations focused on hiring veterans with service-connected disabilities&nbsp;&ndash; Today, many organizations have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.va.gov/careers-employment/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hiring programs</a>&nbsp;and initiatives designed to help veterans with service-connected disabilities find and retain employment. Veterans without service-connected disabilities can often be overlooked in these programs. Instead, they must rely on non-profit organizations that provide a wider scope than assisting with finding employment. This means they can get lost in the pipeline of competing priorities and services.</li>
<li>Greater incentives for hiring veterans with service-connected disabilities&nbsp;&ndash; Employers who hire and accommodate veterans with service-connected disabilities can receive tax incentives under the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/work-opportunity-tax-credit" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Work Opportunity Tax Credit</a>&nbsp;(WOTC) program. Employers can receive tax credits when they hire veterans who have completed or are receiving rehabilitative services through the state or the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). They can also receive credits for hiring veterans who are members of families who are receiving or recently received food stamps.</li>
</ol>
Hiring and supporting veterans with disabilities
Employers that focus on hiring and supporting veterans with disabilities yield countless benefits, as veteran employees prove to be strong leaders, great under pressure, detail-oriented, and much more. For ideas on how to recruit and hire veterans, check out our webinar,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF3PwT6hTz0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Top Challenges Veteran Employees and Jobseekers Face</a>.
Have more questions on recruiting and retaining veterans with disabilities? Contact the CareerCircle team at gettinghired@careercircle.com.
Contributions to this blog were made by Andra&eacute;a LaVant of Solutions Marketing Group.&nbsp;

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Veterans with Disabilities: An Employment Outlook

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Staff Writer

150 Articles

7 Tips for Employers to Support Self-Care for Employees with Disabilities

Five Ways Disability Self-ID Campaigns Benefit Workplace Culture

Veterans with Disabilities: An Employment Outlook

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