Many people with a disability are avoiding sharing information with employers as they face growing levels of exclusion in the workplace, according to a new report.
The Disability Data at Work report found employees with disability were twice as likely to experience discrimination and harassment at work than those without a disability.
Diversity Council Australia (DCA) CEO Lisa Annese said the report shed a light on the workplace experiences of people with disability.
Ms Annese and it outlined essential strategies for fostering workplace environments where employees felt safe to disclose their disability without fear of repercussions.
She said the report found close 42 percent of people with disability had experienced discrimination and/or harassment at work, nearly double the rate of people without disability (23 percent).
It found there was also a disproportionate rate of exclusion at work, with 16 percent of people with disability saying they work in non-inclusive teams, compared to 10 percent of employees without disability.
Ms Annese said people with a disability were significantly more likely to feel socially excluded.
She said a third (35 percent) of people with disability reported being left out of social gatherings at work as well as being ignored or treated as though they don’t exist.
“On top of these troubling findings, 40 percent of people with disability said their organisations were not collecting disability status data.
“For those whose organisations were collecting disability data, close to a third chose not to share their disability status with their employer.”
Ms Annese said when asked why they chose not to share their disability status more than a third (35 percent) feared they would be seen less favourably by managers or overlooked for promotions or development opportunities.
“Over a third (39 percent) said they were concerned about privacy and how the information would be used and close to a third (33 percent) said they didn’t trust sharing would result in a positive outcome.”
Ms Annese said collecting disability data enabled organisations to understand the mix of people in their workplace and the inclusion and exclusion experiences of employees with disability.
“This helps organisations make informed decisions about accessibility, monitor progress, and drive positive change.”
She said behind the troubling experiences faced by employees with disability were deeply rooted personal and systematic biases.
“Organisations bear a significant responsibility in dismantling these barriers to foster equitable employment opportunities, outcomes, and experiences for people with disability.”
