Performance of workers with disabilities as good as co-workers

[Guest guest]

Performance of workers with disabilities as good as co-workers

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-mon_disability_0128jan28,0,3904800.st\

ory

By Barbara Rose | Tribune Reporter - January 28, 2008

A De University study found workers with disabilities performed as well as

other workers while requiring about the same amount of supervision and minimal

accommodations.

The three-year study, scheduled for release Monday, was commissioned

by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce's Disabilityworks initiative

with state and city money.

Researchers collected information about 314 employees, including 95

with disabilities, working in service, administrative support,

professional and managerial jobs at companies in three growing

industries: health care, retail and hospitality. They also conducted

focus groups with administrators.

Employers reported 16 instances of having to accommodate an employee,

and the average cost of accommodations was $313. The single most

expensive was about $1,500 for assistive technology.

Yet when retail employees were asked what accommodations they got to

help them do their jobs, those without disabilities as well as

disabled workers cited examples of help, such as changes to their

work schedules or their job duties.

" Many managers are still concerned about the productivity of workers

with disabilities and the costs associated with accommodations, " said

De's Brigida , assistant professor of psychology and a

principal researcher. " However, results of this study show that our

participants with disabilities were on par with those who were not

disabled across a number of work-related variables. "

In terms of job performance, employees with disabilities averaged 2.3

on a 3-point scale on their annual performance reviews, in which a 2

means " meets expectations. " Employees without disabilities averaged

2.31, the study said.

Among other findings, retail workers with disabilities had fewer

unscheduled absences than those without. And over all three sectors,

those with disabilities took fewer scheduled absences than those

without.

The study said the benefits of hiring the disabled include

having " dedicated and reliable employees " and a more diverse

workforce.

Advocates said they hoped that locally based research will educate

employers who have been reluctant to hire people with disabilities.

" In the not-so-distant future, it will be increasingly important to

recruit talent from this community, " said Disabilityworks Executive

Director McCulloh.

[Guest guest]

Katy, bar the door!! lol ;-)

I never worked in retail, but I consistently exceeded my coworkers in

performance, .... because I had to work my ass off to keep up. Evenings,

weekends, holidays ... whatever it took. No, or little, time for quality rest,

family, social life, etc.