Reducing the disability employment gap
One fifth of working age people in the UK are disabled and increasing numbers are in work. Disabled people are just as likely to be working for an SME employer like Granby as a non-disabled person. We have a social responsibility to influence and facilitate positive change.
Building an inclusive workforce at Granby
As an ethical employer, Granby seeks to understand the issues affecting the representation of disabled people in our sector, within our company and among our partners. We listen to and act on feedback from disabled colleagues and put inclusive policies and practices in place, with the aim of creating good quality jobs and providing training opportunities.
Our commitment supports the aims of this Social Value theme and will continue to be a priority for us in this way, across all our services – 3PL, contract packing, promotional marketing, customer service and reverse logistics.
Reducing the disability employment gap – objectives
- Increasing representation of disabled people in the workforce
- Supporting disabled people to develop new skills
What is a disability?
In the UK, (excluding Northern Ireland), you’re disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.
Government statistics on disability
The government recently (February 2022) updated its official statistics on The employment of disabled people 2021 . Examples of its many findings include:
- 1 in 5 of the working-age population are classed as disabled
- The number of disabled people in employment continues to rise
- The increasing number of people reporting a disability is being driven by an increase in mental health conditions
- Younger people have the lowest employment rates but the disability employment gap increases with age
- Disabled people of White ethnicity have the largest disability employment gap
- At 2%, the disability employment gap in the North West (where Granby is headquartered) is the 5th largest of 12 regions (the highest is Northern Ireland at 42.3% and the lowest South East at 22.4%)
- Disabled workers are less likely to be in higher-skilled occupations
- Disabled workers are more likely to be employed in the public sector
- Disabled people are equally likely to be working for an SME
- Disabled employees are as likely to be in ‘quality work’ as non-disabled employees
1. Reducing the disability employment gap
As well as the actions below, Granby aims to provide training and awareness among staff, particularly in recruitment and site services areas, to counteract and eliminate disability discrimination.
a. Increasing representation of disabled people
- Granby has inclusive, open and transparent recruitment policies that ensure equal opportunities to all members of the community
- We make available opportunities to all sections of the community and currently have a number of disabled people working throughout the business, including apprentices and long serving members of staff
- We have an equal opportunities policy that is implemented in order to ensure no sections of the community are discriminated against
- We are investigating the government’s Disability Confident employer scheme with a view to becoming a member and formally acknowledging the work we do to ensure a fair and transparent workplace of opportunity
- Our workplace is accessible and open to all members of the community, including people with disabilities. Through research and feedback, we are aware of particular requirements that some individuals and sections of the community require to ensure an inclusive working environment
b. Supporting disabled people to develop new skills
- Granby offers opportunity through the provision of jobs and apprenticeships to all sections of the community
- New skills are encouraged and we’re actively trying to reduce barriers that prevent disabled people from progression within the business – we aim to treat all our staff fairly and transparently and encourage staff to liaise with us and pursue the development of new skills that align with our core values and business interests
- We understand the many factors that inhibit the development of skills for the disabled, including accessibility and working conditions, and aim to provide an environment that allows disabled people to develop skills in the same way that other sections of the community are encouraged
How we measure our impact on equal opportunities
We collate, analyse and report on our HR data – qualitative and quantitative – to measure our impact on equal opportunities for disabled people using a range of KPIs like:
- Total percentage and number of FTE people from groups under-represented in the workforce employed under the contract, as a proportion of the total FTE contract workforce, by UK region.
- Total percentage and number of people from groups underrepresented in the workforce on apprenticeship schemes under the contract, by UK region.
- Total percentage and number of people from groups underrepresented in the workforce on other training schemes within the contract workforce, by UK region.
- Percentage and number of all companies in the supply chain under the contract to have committed to the government’s 5 foundational principles of good work.
- Percentage of the supply chain for which supply chain mapping has been completed to the appropriate tier or to source in order to reduce the risks of modern slavery.
- Number of people-hours devoted to supporting victims of modern slavery under the contract.