Employers' concerns 'hampering chances for disabled'

Concerns among employers over legal liability issues are hampering the chances of people with disabilities gaining employment, according to corporate law firm McCann FitzGerald.

Speaking today at the launch of McCann FitzGerald's report, 'Employing People with Disabilities, Legal Issues', Terence McCrann, head of the firm's employment law group, said that apprehension about discrimination claims, as well as health and safety concerns, were major issues for employers when it came to hiring people with disabilities.

McCrann said the first step in overcoming these concerns was to agree at senior executive level what the policy and philosophy of the organisation is towards employing people with disabilities.

"Employers need to ask themselves whether they want to positively encourage people with disabilities to be employed, as opposed to just doing the minimum required to comply with law," he said.

According to McCrann, employers then need to look at the following areas and make sure that they take account of people with disabilities:

* Recruitment

* Job specification

* Application forms

* Short listing and interview processes

* Training, development and promotion

* Awareness of duty of care and health and safety obligations

* Reviewing of terms and conditions of employment

* Illness and incapacity issues