HR Jargon of the month

Employee Accommodation

Sometimes workplace barriers prevent employees with disabilities from performing their jobs
that they could do with some reasonable accommodation. The Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) stipulates that qualified job applicants and employees with disabilities be given
reasonable accommodation except in cases where such accommodation would give rise to undue
hardship. The workplace barriers may range from physical impediments like inaccessible
equipment to workplace rules and procedures such as when breaks should be taken or how
essential and marginal functions are to be performed.

How it works: If employees with disabilities do not have a preferred way of accommodation
already, an occupational therapist conducts a workplace accommodation assessment to
recommend workspace adjustments to the employer. Most accommodations are relatively easy
and cost nothing to the employer. If expenses are involved, they are under $500- $1000.

Let us look at some of the possible reasonable accommodations that an employer may make-

 Job Restructuring – It involves the redistributing or reallocating the marginal functions of a

job. Job restructuring can be achieved by exchanging the marginal functions of the person
with a disability with an employee who can perform them. The employee should be able to
perform the essential functions of the job, but when it is possible to remove non-essential
functions, adjustments must be made.
For example, a firm has two data processing clerks. The essential function is typing data in
the computer while attending the phone is a marginal one. If one of the clerks has a speech
impairment, the employee without speech impairment could attend his calls in exchange for
filing that employee's reports.
 Modified work schedules - Employees might require special medical treatment for
conditions like cancer and mental illness. Some might need rest periods due to cancer,
respiratory conditions, diabetes and mental illness. These individuals may need modified
work schedules and flexible leaves for their treatment.
 Purchase or modification of equipment – Many devices make it possible to overcome
barriers in performing a job. Some of these devices include Braille displays and printers for
 blind employees, talking calculators for employees with vision impairment, adjustable height
desks for employees who use a wheelchair and telephone amplifiers for people with hearing
disabilities.

Corporate Highlights

1. General Motors plans to hire 3,000 techies by March 2021

By March 30, General Motors intends to recruit 3,000 techies, for its virtual product testing and
software as a service (SaaS) development team. Of these, about 500 to 1,000 will be working
remotely for its electric and autonomous vehicles development teams. Most of the openings will
be at the Company’s technical centre near Detroit, Michigan. The new hires will be working on
enhancing electrical capacity to ensure vehicle safety, infotainment and connectivity, as well as
connectivity innovations along with over-the-internet vehicle-software updates.

Source

2. Sun Life ASCI accelerates D&I agenda with women-centric initiatives

The global in-house centre (GIC) of Sun Life Financial has 35% women in its workforce and
30% in its leadership. Now, ASCI is working towards pushing its D&I agenda with its many
programmes aimed at developing women leaders, upskilling women and building a high-trust
work environment for women. Some of the notable ones are:

 The Company’s campaign called Sun Women and Leaders Speak, encourages its
women leaders to share their thought leadership perspective on the Company’s internal as
well as social-media platforms.
 The Women Leadership Development Programme focusses on developing leadership
competencies that will make women leaders at Sun Life ready for the future. Under this
initiative, 12 women leaders were given an opportunity to take on a 10-month learning
journey which was a mix of classroom sessions on networking, knowing the self,
negotiation, webinars and mentoring.
 The Education Assistance programme allows women employees to add to their
professional skills. Under this initiative, employees who wish to continue with higher
education can enroll for a long-term certification. For this, Sun Life ASCI has tied up
 with IMT Ghaziabad, to offer a two-year postgraduate programme and a one-year
executive MBA programme.

Source

3. Exclusive job portal for women, LGBTQ, PwD and army veterans launched by Avtar

Avtar, the Chennai-based diversity hiring company, has launched a job portal that will cater
exclusively to women, members of the LGBTQ community, persons with disabilities (PwD) and
veterans from the army. It will try to ensure that not just women but even army veterans can
fulfil their desire for a second career.

The portal, which is called Avtar.com, aims to help by offering employment opportunities to
those members of the society, who are underrepresented when it comes to jobs in organisations.
It currently features more than 500 job opportunities from IT, manufacturing, fintech, healthcare,
logistics and sales & marketing. In the past two decades now, Avtar has managed to successfully
help over 50,000 women get jobs across India.

Source

4. Pvt sector, state govt, PSU employees eligible for I-T exemption under LTC cash
voucher scheme

The Income Tax Department on Thursday extended the I-T exemption available under the LTC
cash voucher scheme to employees of state governments, state-owned enterprises and private
sector. The Central Board of Direct Taxes in a statement said that the payment of cash
allowance, subject to maximum of Rs 36,000 per person as deemed Leave Travel Concession
(LTC) fare per person (Round Trip) to non-central government employees, shall be allowed
income-tax exemption subject to fulfilment of conditions.

The conditions listed out by the CBDT for availing the tax exemption under the LTC cash
voucher scheme require the employee to spend a sum equal to three times of the value of the
deemed LTC fare on purchase of goods / services which carry a GST rate of 12 per cent or more
from GST registered vendors / service providers through digital mode between October 12, 2020
to March 31, 2021 and obtains a voucher indicating the GST number and the amount of GST
paid.

Source

5. TresVista offers Rs 10K as WFH setup reimbursement to staff

TresVista, the Bangalore-based company, which provides high-end outsourced support to

organisations, asset managers, and businessmen, is offering caregivers’ leave, support for
employees who test positive for COVID-19 and one-time reimbursement for whatever the
employees procure to set up their ‘home office’.

The caregiver’s special leave allows employees to take paid leave to care for their immediate
family members or extended family. In case hospitalisation is involved, the leave can be
extended to 10 days, and the leave is not limited to COVID-19. To facilitate self-care, employees
who test positive for COVID are allowed to take additional five days of paid leave. If required,
extended paid sick leave can be taken. Employees are given a one-time reimbursement of Rs
10,000 to set up their workstations at home, with comfortable desk, chair and so on.

Source

6. GOI announces ABRY scheme to create jobs

The Government of India has announced the Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana (ABRY) to
create more jobs. The scheme will offer employment generation incentives to all companies
registered under the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) if they hire new
employees. Those who were not covered under EPFO earlier or were rendered jobless during the
pandemic (in the March to September period) will benefit. It will be effective from October 1,
2020, to June 30, 2021 period.

To avail the scheme's benefits, companies with less than 50 employees must hire at least two
new employees, and those with over 50 employees must hire at least five new employees.

Source

7. Amazon to hire 100,000 seasonal employees

Amazon announced it is creating more than 100,000 jobs in operations such as packing and
delivering orders for its' peak season'. Positions include managing employees, operating robots,
and monitoring safety at facilities people to meet holiday shopping season demands. These new
seasonal employees will help pick, pack, and ship customer orders during the holiday season. It
also offers opportunities for pay incentives, benefits, and a path to a longer-term career, or can
provide extra income and flexibility. The company also said that 35,000 employees would also
get promotions.

Source

8. NASSCOM launches a skilling platform to make India a 'Digital Talent Nation.'

As part of its ongoing efforts to foster an ecosystem that enhances India's digital talent with the
right set of skills, the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM)
has launched FutureSkills PRIME Beta Platform, online platform to encourage remote and self-
paced learning.

Under the Programme, 4.12 lakh learners will get subsidized access to certified courses in any of
the 10 identified emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Big Data
Analytics, Robotic Process Automation, Additive Manufacturing/3D Printing, Cloud Computing,
Social & Mobile, Cyber Security, Augmented/Virtual Reality and Blockchain, etc. The program
also aims to benefit aspirants from tier-II and tier-III cities, including those from small and
medium enterprises and women & youth who want to participate in the vibrant gig economy
from the convenience of their homes/remote locations.

Source

9. Clothing retail company, H&M to layoff in India

Earlier in March, H&M had shared that it is weighing laying off tens of thousands of workers
worldwide temporarily, as it works through interruptions to its business from the coronavirus
pandemic. However, the company wouldn't be shutting any stores in the country.

Confirming the layoffs, the company, in an emailed response to a media company, said: “As a
result of our restructured organization within our India sourcing entity, around 60 of our
colleagues will not continue their journey with us. We will promote networking methods to
handle our operations where all the offices are connected to each other for different operations.
Despite the geographical location of teams, digitalization and customer-centric set-ups will
enable market growth in the future as well as secure the best offer for our customers,” it said.

Source

10. Delhi HC directs PIL, for paid period leave, to the Centre

The Delhi High Court on Monday, directed to the Centre and the Delhi government the public
interest litigation (PIL), which seeks paid leave for women employees during their menstruation
period, for consideration as a representation.

The petition was filed by the Delhi Labour Union through advocate Rajiv Agarwal, seeking paid
leave for four days every month for all women employees, including contractual, outsourced and
daily- wage workers. The petition seeks overtime pay for all women employees, including
officers, in case they opt to work during their period.

The petition draws attention to the fact that the physical discomfort as well as emotional stress
that a significant number of women workers and professionals who menstruate undergo is not
even acknowledge or given any thought. It further mentioned the physical distress that
menstruating women suffer in the form of menstrual cramps, nausea, and dizziness.

The petition seeks for the creation of an agency for women employees to openly speak up for
menstrual benefits.

Source
 Appointments of the month

1. Times Internet Ltd (TIL), the digital venture of The Times of India Group, has appointed
Smriti Ahuja as Chief People Officer, effective from 2nd November 2020.

2. Swiss banking major UBS recently announced the elevation of Uday Odedra as the country
head of its India operations, which employ over 6,700 people

3. Scaler by InterviewBit has appointed serial entrepreneur, Naren Krishna as the Business
Unit Head of Career. In his new role, Naren will be responsible for managing the entire
Career division with an aim to position Scaler as the preferred destination to recruit top
engineering talent in the country

4. Cadila Pharmaceuticals has strengthened its Human Resources function with the addition
of Dr. Sanjeev Dixit as the Global President – Human Capital Management.

5. V-Mart Retail Ltd has named Future Group’s head of north India, Vineet Jain, as the new
chief operating officer in a move to bolster the leadership team of the value retailer.

6. Lowe's India, the Bengaluru-based retail technology, analytics, and business operations
center for Lowe's Companies, Inc. announced the appointment of Mohith Mohan as the
Senior Director for Human Resources in India.

7. OYO Hotels & Homes has announced the elevation of Ankit Tandon to Global Chief
Business Officer of OYO Hotels & Homes

8. Gurugram-based online pharmacy 1mg has appointed former Ecom Express and General
Electric senior executive Mayank Gupta as its Chief Financial Officer at a time when
competition in the sector has heated up with entry of giants such as Reliance and Amazon.
ARTICLES

Saarthak Chandna

UH20105

Globally, the issue of creating an inclusive society has increased. The problem often includes
discussions and realistic interventions in the sense of jobs, as work is an essential factor in
building an individual's identity, as it offers psychological balance, social integration, continuous
learning opportunities and can have a positive effect on the life of a person.

Social inclusion in the workplace should give employees the conditions they need to feel
respected and encouraged to perceive their capacity to contribute to society, irrespective of their
limitations. Society is continually invited to bring in reforms intended to welcome all people
without prejudice, regardless of jobs, leisure, or other circumstances of everyday life, to provide
those conditions.

Within Human Resource Management - a field that interfaces with Business Administration,
Production Engineering, Organizational Psychology, and other areas of expertise - there has been
little debate on social inclusion on more realistic steps to make the inclusion of disabled
professionals more successful. In business administration and production engineering, Deduction
informs us that there is a void, primarily in the literature. It's a huge challenge to tackle diversity
in the sense of labor. This challenge is embodied in organizations' discriminatory acts, illustrated
by managers who display an aversion to recruiting professionals with disabilities. Such
resistance is proven as existing regulations require public and private companies to spare these
practitioners a vacancies quota. It is noted that the legislation for this form of recruitment in
private companies is not so recent. However, managers' difficulties - mainly in the Department of
Human Resources - are still massive and require that this debate is always on the research works
schedule so that the multidisciplinary discussion can be attentive to the proposal of current
solutions for this topic.

Approximately 1 billion people live with some impairment globally, but their importance is often
systematically overlooked by businesses. Ensuring that an agency consistently hires and
embraces staff with disabilities is completely important. Employing people with disabilities
means recruiting more highly qualified applicants, growing the talent pool, improving the staff's
efficiency, increasing quality, and being an employer of choice.

Therefore, HR should consider five things in its organization to ensure that workers with
disabilities in the workplace are fully assisted.

1. Insert accessibility into each portion of your hiring process

Being an open recruiter goes far beyond merely specifying on work specifications that the
interview processes can be devised to suit various applicants' needs. Many recruiting companies
are not available or accessible to people with disabilities, so look past recruiters when looking for
applicants one can generally work with.

Ensure that application forms and job descriptions are genuinely available; this can require the
provision of large print, Braille or easy-to-read documents. One can also make sure all online
documents are compatible with screen readers. Try to concentrate the job description on
necessary, rather than desired, criteria. Setting out items that are not needed in the position and
discouraging some candidates with disabilities from applying small factors can unintentionally
discriminate.

Also, use alternative approaches to help candidate’s complete application forms, such as taster
days or telephone interviews. Think actively regarding any participation requirements that people
with disabilities may have daily, such as mobility for wheelchairs, hearing loops, or access to
computers.

Finally, track the results of the selection process to review your policies to ensure that they are
successful in hiring people with disabilities so that you can adapt and change as appropriate.

2. Bust of myths for managers

For individual managers who might not have worked with anyone or know anyone with a
disability in their personal life, they may feel daunted by the thought of handling someone who
has a disability for the first time.
They can be worried about saying the right thing or ensuring sufficient help is given. Simply
myth-busting will equip them with the confidence and skills required to support workers. Explain
to executives that they are not supposed to be experts and have an open dialogue with disabled
workers to decide what help is needed.

In reality, managers should already have discussions with each employee in progressive People
Companies about what a better work environment looks like for them, what help is required, and
what drives them. The same applies to all staff, irrespective of whether they have a disability or
not. Managers should be expected to have this conversation with confidence.

3. Adjust the job arrangements

To please all workers, it is necessary to note that not all conditions are physical and take this into
account when changing the working conditions.

Neuro-divergent disorders such as ADHD, dyslexia, and autism may make it difficult for
workers to find bright lights, loud noise, and heavy patterns on the walls. Consider having
natural lighting, headphones with noise cancellation, and a quiet space to which they can escape
or encourage them to work from home. Assistive devices, such as screen readers to magnify the
screen, technology for speech recognition, hearing loop systems, or amplified phones, may be
introduced.

In addition to improving the job, think of the most comfortable way to get to the office for
employees with disabilities. Is it possible for them to use public transport? If not, consider
organizing transportation or allowing them to operate from home in a flexible way.

Often inquire first if the property is open to your employees with mobility difficulties if you meet
customers externally or arrange activities at an external location. This will avert embarrassment
and give you time to look for another solution.

It is vital that staff feel comfortable asking for improvements to be made, instead of being quiet
and struggling at work or quitting altogether. Note, it is much costlier to replace an employee
than it is to adapt to the workplace.

4. Provide all staff with unconscious bias training

The needs and assistance needed by colleagues who may have a disability may often be unaware
of workers without disabilities.

By educating staff on the challenges people with disabilities can face at work, you may open
their eyes to problems they may consider. Training can be continuous, and it may be peer-led,
but it doesn't always have to be formal. It should also include urging workers to refrain from
saying and doing certain things that people without disabilities seem to have embraced in a vain
attempt to be beneficial, such as telling a disabled colleague that they are brave, talking in 'baby
talk,' or supporting others without being asked to.

5. Pay disabled workers fairly

Sadly, many individuals with disabilities are made to feel like they should be thankful for having
a job at all. For workers with disabilities, this is unethical and demotivating, as well as morally
unequal. It goes without saying that all employees are treated fairly and disabled employees are
paid equally. As a result, your reputation as a dynamic and inclusive employer would draw talent
and create a far more collaborative and active workforce.

In the end, for all workers, it is about fantastic job experiences.

As an employer, it is one's duty to make sure that HR gives all workers positive experiences,
including disabled employees, of course. This is not just about making sure offices are open. It's
about recognizing what's important to them and creating experiences that they not only need but
want, consequently allowing them to work and succeed. This is the case with all workers of
progressive individual businesses who genuinely recognize the importance of their greatest asset:
their citizens, whatever their criteria are.
 ARJUN D

UH20077

"Just because a person lacks the use of his eyes doesn't mean he lacks vision."

– Stevie Wonder.

For decades, the differently-abled have faced discrimination regarding employment in

organizations due to their disabilities. In 2011, India reported 2.6 crore people across the country
as differently-abled, while WHO reported nearly 15% of the world's population is differently-
abled. Despite legislative regulations such as the Disabilities Act, 1995 and Right of Persons
with Disabilities Act, 2016, and the obligations laid down by the United Nations Convention, a
mere 0.54% of the differently-abled are employed in public sector companies, 0.28% in private
sector companies and 0.05% in multinational companies. The discrimination against the
employment of differently-abled can be environment driven, such as the special accommodations
required, the nature of the job, the physical and cognitive job requirement. In other instances, it is
person-driven such as the stereotypical attitude against work performance of people with
disabilities, a misconception, misunderstanding or a lack of understanding of disabilities and its
scope. Less than ten companies are responsible for over 90% of the employment of people with
disabilities. Companies like Lemon Tree Hotels, ITC, Capgemini, IBM, Wipro, SAP Labs India,
Accenture, Tata Group, Café Coffee Day, P&G, EY, Sodexo, Cisco, and KFC come across as
differently-abled-friendly organizations. Globally, the organization's Inclusivity is decided by the
DEI scores, i.e., Disability Equality Index score that the organization has achieved that reflects
its inclusion of differently-abled employees. The DEI index was created by AAPD (American
Association of Persons with Disabilities). The DEI report also publishes annually a list of
companies that have successfully implemented the best practices to ensure the Inclusivity of
differently-abled employees, taking into account multiple factors such as employment practices,
the organization culture, leadership.

Human Resource managers play a significant role in creating differently-abled-friendly

organizations by inducing inclusion across the organization through various HR practices such as
strategy and planning, recruitment and hiring, training and development, performance
management, compensation and benefits, and employee relations. Let us now take a deep dive
into how different HR practices ensure inclusion,

Strategy and Planning: The organizational system should ensure the inclusion of the differently-
abled workforce through proper job analysis and classifying jobs that are differently-abled-
friendly, which can be achieved with a well-defined HR planning process. The organization
should adopt policies that offer extended health benefits, restructure employment and working
hours, changes in supervisory methods.

Recruitment and Hiring: Inclusion through multiple formats of applying to job vacancies such as
audio recordings of resume, braille application forms for the blind, physical facilities where the
candidate can apply in-person. HR managers of organizations can partner up with local
communities for differently-abled or state rehabilitation centres for cognitive disabilities and hire
talent. The interview and selection process should be modified to focus on the skills and abilities
of the people with disabilities and ensure the selection process will overcome the bias barriers
and stereotypes.

Training and Development: Companies should provide modified training material depending on
the type of disability of the employee such as written job instructions, mentor facilities to
employees with cognitive disabilities, modified work environment, making existing training
material accessible to the differently-abled, external vendors for specialized training and
development.

Performance Management: Career and promotion opportunities with disability-specific

performance metrics and normalization, Performance linked pay can motivate differently-abled
employees. High expectations can help in better inclusion of differently-abled employees in
organizations.
Compensation and Benefits: Tapered Policies to extend benefits to employees with disabilities,
transportation facilities, modified accommodations to cater to disabilities.

Employee Relations: Extended health benefits, tapered recreational facilities to cater to needs of
differently-abled employees, social activities for inclusion and employee engagement, employee
training to overcome disability biases and stereotypes, Disability awareness through campaigns
and awareness sessions, can improve and help HR managers to create an inclusive culture that
ensures equity in organization for employees with disabilities.

However, to understand how organizations can truly achieve the inclusion of employees with
disabilities and HR's role in ensuring it, we will need to take a look at some of the real-world
scenarios. Here are some of the best practices followed in the industry by organizations both
global and Indian, known for their differently-abled-friendly culture,

1. Facebook: Facebook resource group called Differently Abled@ works towards raising
awareness amongst people about the opportunities and the challenges faced by the differently-
abled community. It connects to differently-abled talent across the globe, empowers them as
employees of Facebook through internal career development programs, and also helps to reach
out to their friends, families, and communities.

2. Delta Air Lines: The decision-making in Delta Airlines is inclusive of a differently-abled

board of members. For every decision, the board of members will consider the Disability
Advisory Board to ensure there is equity for the differently-abled employees of the organization.

3. Microsoft: Microsoft resource group called disAbility offers disability-specific training to its
differently-abled employees across the globe. It also ensures that differently-abled employees use
all the facilities, products, and services that the company has to offer to its employees.

4. P&G: Project WIN of Proctor and Gamble is a hiring strategy that focuses on finding talent in
differently-abled communities. They ensure a diverse workforce and equal pay to all its
employees. P&G also has an affinity group that works towards creating awareness about the
challenges faced by persons with disabilities and extend support to the employees who have
dependents with disabilities.
5. Lemon Tree Hotels: 'See, Smile, greet' training focuses on employees with speech and
hearing disabilities. It helps to perform their job through the use of videos and interpreters.
Lemon Tree has nearly 13% of its employed workforce from the differently-abled communities.
They believe being differently-abled is a new skill set that helps perform specific jobs such as
cleaning better than a regular employee. Lemon Tree primarily focuses on hiring people with
Down syndrome, hearing, and speech disabilities.

6. Capgemini: Capgemini provides differently-abled employees to avail special

accommodations and reasonable work adjustments through voluntary disclosure of disability in
the form of the Disability Self Identification Form. The company believes that differently-abled
people are more hard-working than regular employees and has hired over 200 employees from
different differently-abled communities such as employees with hearing impairments, speaking
impairments, schizophrenia, epilepsy.

7. IBM: IBM's 3 As or popularly known as Accommodation, Accessibility, and Attitude, are a

set of policies that revolve around hiring differently-abled employees to the organization in
different domains such as programming, HR, Consulting, Quality Assurance. IBM has also been
responsible for differently-abled focused applications such as Hindi Speech Recognition
programs. Also, IBM conducts awareness sessions amongst its senior management to create
awareness about unconscious biases and overcome them.

8. SAP Labs India: SAP Labs India consider disabilities to be an advantage rather than a
disadvantage. SAP Labs partnered with the Autism Society of Indian to hire candidates with
ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and conduct photographic memory tests, which revealed that
employees with ASD had better results than regular employees. SAP Labs aims to have 1% of its
workforce as employees with disabilities by the end of 2020.

While the following is a non-exhaustive list of best practices followed by organizations

worldwide to achieve the workforce's Inclusivity with disabilities, it is necessary to recognize the
talent of differently-abled employees. Organizations need to identify the capabilities and
competencies without being driven by biases against the differently-abled communities. This will
help the organization explore a distinguished workforce's untapped potential and ensure that they
get the opportunity they deserve.
 Akanksha

UH20006

While I was doing my BTech back in 2015, I was a member of our college's Cultural Committee.
I had to travel to multiple colleges to participate in the Dance competitions across India's
colleges. On one such occasion, on our trip to IIT Roorkee, we saw that the Fashion walk course
was going on while coming back from our dance practice. Hence, we decided to desist and have
a look at the same. The ramp walk was brilliant, and the models on the stage were doing it with
complete panache. After some time, we saw a small girl come from behind, limping from one
leg, but having the atmosphere's absolute authority and oozing confidence and style. We were all
in complete awe of how she had not let her disability come in between anything and had
accepted it wholeheartedly.

Worldwide, the challenge of creating an inclusive community has increased. The issue often
includes discussions and realistic interventions in employment, as work is an essential factor in
building an individual's identity. It offers psychological balance, social integration, and
continuous learning opportunities and positively impacts a person's life.

Following the 2011 Census, India has an estimated 2.2% population, i.e., more than two crore
people, under People with Disabilities. Most of them are significantly unemployed or
underemployed compared with their non-disabled peer group. This reflects a substantial loss of
willing and able assets for private and public sector organizations and a loss of income and social
and economic inclusion for individuals with disabilities. Even after passing The Rights of
Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, banning discrimination against disabilities, people with
physical disabilities continue to experience low levels of jobs. For a long time, this extensive
community has been marginalized, causing the nation a tremendous loss in efficient working
hours and employable labor. Many people have a degree of discomfort with disabled staff as they
are confused about how the disabled person should be handled. Disability in India is sometimes
considered to be some abnormality in which all faculties are challenged.

Workplace and social inclusion should provide personnel with the conditions they need to feel
valued in their circumstances, irrespective of their limitations, and help them perceive their
capacity to contribute to society. Society is continuously invited to bring in reforms intended to
welcome all people without prejudice, regardless of jobs, leisure, or other circumstances of
everyday life, to provide those conditions.

But what constitutes a disability?

A crucial factor in the design of a data collection activity is the concept of a population with
disabilities. It sets out the scope and coverage of the entire data collection process. From a
philosophical point of view, there is no universal description of what constitutes a disability or
who should be treated as having a disability. Also, no single static impairment disorder exists.
The relationship between a person with a health condition and a complex environmental
background is the product of a disability. Individuals with similar health problems cannot,
depending on their ecological adaptations, be equally disabled, or have the same understanding
of their disability. Access to technical aids, facilities or medication, or physical adaptation to the
environment, for example, can help individuals to overcome their disabling conditions. Disability
is not a phenomenon of all or nothing but requires degrees of complexity, restriction, or
dependency, varying from mild to extreme. Questions should be designed to capture people with
extreme disabilities and those with less severe types of debilitating conditions. Any support
devices or accommodations that the person might have should be taken into account.

Worldwide, there have been multiple steps that have been taken by organizations and are being
added with time to make the workplace much more diverse and much more inclusive. Here are a
few steps where HR can help in achieving this intent.

IMPLICATIONS FOR EFFECTIVE WORKPLACE POLICIES AND PRACTICE

Several procedures and strategies in the workplace lead to successful approaches in managing
workplace disability problems, and all of these falls to the HR specialist and the individual
manager. The following are:

● Providing a centralized organizational framework to promote accommodation in the

workplace;

● Establishing a relationship with local community organizations that can help with the
recruitment of eligible candidates with disabilities and also in recognition of suitable
accommodations, where needed;

● Having policies and procedures in recruiting and selection processes that eliminate
discrimination;

● Having policies and procedures that encourage job and promotional opportunities for disabled
employees

Recruitment, Screening, and Selection Process

Multiple practices can help employers in recruiting and employing qualified candidates with
disabilities. These are as follows:

● The employer forms a relationship with people with disabilities staying at the different state
vocational rehabilitation or local government job placement agencies.
● The organizational recruiting process is egalitarian in that it is open to individuals with
mobility and communication impairments.
● To those with mobility impairments, physical facilities for making an application are available.
● There are several formats (such as Braille, large print, and audio cassette) for applications and
other employment materials.
● Instead of disabilities or health conditions and resulting restrictions, applications and
interviewing procedures are worded in such a way that they highlight the skills and abilities
needed.
● The orientation of new workers is open to persons with mobility and communication
impairments.
One way to find appropriate job applicants is to collaborate with state vocational rehabilitation
agencies or local community groups offering career training and therapy services to people with
disabilities. The employer should also review the company's policies and procedures regarding
pre-employment screening and testing and a new employee orientation to ensure that the
organization.

Incentive Development and Career Opportunities

Any policies and procedures that increase job prospects and promotional opportunities for people
with disabilities are:

● For individuals with disabilities, the job and promotional incentive process is equitably
implemented.
● In formats accessible to individuals with communication impairments (such as disk, large
print, audio cassette, and Braille), communications about promotional opportunities are
available.
● Employee training handbooks and courses (using alternate formats for print materials or
readers or sign language interpreters as required) are made available to people with
communication impairments.
● Employees with disabilities have access to external training and career development
opportunities (they are housed in physically accessible buildings, and relevant assistance is given
for people with speech impairments).

Many organizations have already started working towards these goals and are expanding their
vision at an exponential rate. A few of the many organizations are:

1. L'OREAL INDIA

L'Oréal India has been employing people with disabilities since 2017 when it hired two
employees and six interns as being a part of the workforce. The company offices have been
transformed to be easily accessible. They have also conducted external accessibility audits.
L'Oréal India has now started working on recommendations like contrasted signages, automatic
doors, parking and, slope elevations. The company aims that by 2020, about two percent of their
workforce would be people with disabilities.
2. MAKE MY TRIP

Not only does the online travel website employ the differently-abled, but it also invests in their
growth. It provides transportation to work, reconfigured workstations, and disability-friendly
bathrooms, exits, and cafeterias. MakeMyTrip has also collaborated with non-governmental
organizations that train people with disabilities in different roles, including programming, legal,
and customer service, and employs over 40 people with disabilities.

3. MIRAKLE COURIERS

Dhruv Lakra, an alumnus of HR College, Mumbai, and the renowned Oxford University of 2010,
started Mirakle Couriers. He began to employ hearing-impaired because they are so visually
inclined that they are incredibly good at map reading and remembering roads and buildings. The
organization is partnered with NGOs (currently 70) to hire its workers and provides more than
65,000 shipments a month.

By asking them to shadow seasoned workers to see their work, the business trains their PwDs. If
relaxed, the organization allowed them to operate independently of regulation.

Social inclusion in the workplace is a complex topic. Hence, it is essential to recommend the
multidisciplinary expansion of research agendas in production engineering, business
management, organizational psychology, and other areas of expertise. Social inclusion must be
part of the debates and professionals' practices in this sector. Their sustenance is essential to
human resources managers and professionals with disabilities looking for vacancies in the labor
market.
 SWAPNEEL DAS

UH20119

Oscar Pistorius. Ring a bell?

No?

Okay. Oscar Pistorius or "Oz" Pistorius had both his legs amputated when he was 11 months old.
But he went on to win a lot of gold medals in different categories using transtibial prostheses. He
was disabled, yet he managed to make something of himself. And he had just one motto.

"You're not disabled by the disabilities you have; you are able by the abilities you have."

And that sentence that he believed in wasn't wrong. Even, as usual, completely functioning
human beings, we sometimes lose our way, we are often disabled, blinded by many things but,
aren't we given a chance, the opportunity to get back on our feet? People who are born disable
should also be given that opportunity.

Organisations and governments did become more accepting towards the idea of having people
with disabilities. Unless and until they see a potential return of investment, the hesitance comes,
automatically. Our challenge in the area of disabilities is learning to change our perception of
someone's limitations, adopt universal design thinking and practices to accommodate a range of
abilities, and, thereby, extend the possibilities for both individual and collective business
performance. All of us have limitations. And they are a part of the world too.
I think most organisations hire disabled people not out of compassion but rather as a good PR
strategy. Let's take stats from India itself. As per the 2011 census, 26 crore people are disabled in
some form or the other. That's around 18% of the total population, but many are just left to their
fate.

The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation)
Act, 1995 mandates a 3% quota for differently-abled in all government jobs, positions that are
both directly selected or through promotion.

Note. 3%.

It's the kind of life they have been subjected to. They were not even given a choice. They are
human beings, and their DNA isn't much different from the normal ones. Yes, the human DNA
asks each one of you to subjugate those weaker than you, but then we have empathy installed.
And that is what balances the society. That is what makes one a good human being. Because the
idea is to move forward, but not to leave behind those who need and deserve a second chance.
Because it is when we get the second chance, we are at our best.

As of 2015, only ten companies in India have successfully "boast" of being "sensitive" to
employing people with disabilities. But since then, we have seen many new organisations
discovering how beneficial it can be hiring and make utilise of people with disabilities by
polishing their vital areas. Come on, and if I don't have a leg, it doesn't mean my brain doesn't
work. In 2007, the Lemon Tree chain of Hotels started an inclusion program, where they took the
initiative to recruit people with Down Syndrome and hearing & speech impediments. They
learned that differently-abled genuinely indicated a new skill set. In their observation, employees
with speech and hearing impediments have the unique ability to clean more rooms a day
compared to the non-disabled. This is attributed to the fact that no gossip or conversation
distracts them. 13% of their employees are differently-abled. And the number has increased ever
since.

Another startup, Mirakle Couriers, was started by Dhruv Lakra. He began to hire hearing-
impaired because they are extremely good at map-reading and remembering roads and buildings
because they are so visually inclined. The company associates with NGOs to recruit its
employees (currently 70) and delivers more than 65,000 shipments a month.
We tend to forget when one has something missing from their life; they try to compensate by
making what they have their greatest strength. Let's say if you lack good negotiation skills, you
will end up polishing your research skills. In the same way, a person who cannot hear would
have strong visual skills. And if that person is given an opportunity, we have seen two examples
where they can do wonders.

But the numbers are less. This is where the Human Resource Department should come into
action. In identifying the strengths of people with different disabilities and polishing them, and
helping them stand on their own two feet, figuratively.