The coronavirus pandemic has forced businesses to adopt a company-wide WFH approach in many industries. Both employers and employees find many benefits, which could see this work style continuing even after the pandemic has handed. Additionally, this has created new opportunities for the disabled community, bringing huge benefits, both individually and economically.
The Challenges of Commuting
Many people with a disability have found employment incredibly challenging before shifting in attitude to working from home. Accessibility, commuting, and public transport are a few of the main issues that can stop those with disabilities from finding and retaining work despite The Equality Act 2010. Additionally, many of those who do work find it extremely challenging and stressful, impacting their daily performance and other life areas.
How WFH Helps the Disabled Community
With businesses now seeing that employees can work remotely and even increases productivity in some cases, this could be a massive boost for the disabled community. Those seeking work can apply without worrying about how they will get to and from work (which also allows them to cast a wider net), while those who are already in employment will have a huge weight lifted, which could improve performance.
A Change in Rights?
According to a severe published by UNISON, disabled employees working from home during lockdown took fewer days off and said they have been more productive, so it is clear that this is a huge plus for both the business and the employer. The union is now calling on the Government to give rights to disabled employees to work from home and for penalties to be issued to employers that do not comply.
Concerns Over What’s Next
The concern is that once the pandemic has ended, and it is safe for people to return to work, people will be forced back into the office, which would then see the progress that was made vanished. For those that need to commute to work, wheelchair accessible vehicles from places like Allied Mobility can be the right solution and means that people do not have to worry about using public transport.
It is hard to say what employers will do once the pandemic has ended, as in many cases, remote work can bring so many benefits to all parties. The disabled community, in particular, benefit from remote work as it can alleviate the stresses and challenges of the commute, and the increase in productivity that has been reported is a clear sign that this needs to be an option moving forward.