Companies should hire more people with disabilities
Companies in Saxony-Anhalt employ too few disabled and severely disabled people compared to their legal obligations. Because this has not changed despite the equalization levy and many programmes, the state commissioner for the disabled, Christian Walbrach, is now focusing on more direct persuasion, support and guidance - especially from the companies' perspective. "We really need to make significant progress in our state, because unfortunately we have an employment rate on the general labor market in Saxony-Anhalt of around three and a half percent, and that has been the case for a good ten years."
Walbrach's plan: "We don't just want to spread appeals and keep reminding people of the legal background and the necessity and so on, but we want to install a network that is primarily geared towards the concerns and perspectives of companies."
Companies with more than 20 employees are obliged to employ five percent severely disabled people. According to the latest figures from the regional directorate, there were exactly 4339 private and public employers who fell under this employment obligation in 2021. 1381 of them fully complied with the obligation, which equates to 31.8 percent. 39.3 percent partially fulfilled the obligation. According to the statistics, 1253 employers, or 28.9 percent, failed to fill mandatory jobs.
"We want to take note of the concerns and needs, fears of thresholds, prejudices, whatever there may be, of companies, discuss them, develop solutions and thus encourage more companies to get involved of their own accord," says Walbrach. This Thursday, the "Inclusive Labor Market Saxony-Anhalt" network will hold its first meeting in Halle.
According to the regional directorate, an average of 3750 severely disabled people were registered as unemployed last year. On average, they remained unemployed for 348 days, while unemployed people without disabilities had to search for a new job for 275 days.
Especially in times of a cross-industry shortage of skilled workers, companies should make use of the potential of people with disabilities, said Walbrach. "There is a shortage everywhere. And that's why we can't do without the potential that people with disabilities undoubtedly bring to the table." People need to be made aware that the low employment rate of 3.5 percent "cannot be justified in the long term in terms of the labor market and social policy". His goal is to gradually move away from this, said the Disability Commissioner.
Walbrach also made it clear: "We have to react to the reluctant companies that completely ignore the issue and, as they themselves believe, shirk their employment obligations." He therefore welcomes the fact that a new amount will soon be due for companies that, contrary to their obligation, do not employ severely disabled people.
Companies need to address and overcome their concerns and fears, such as prejudices and threshold apprehensions, related to hiring people with disabilities to meet their legal obligations in the labor market. This proactive approach, as suggested by Walbrach, could potentially increase the employment rate of individuals with disabilities in Saxony-Anhalt.
The lack of progress in employing a sufficient number of individuals with disabilities in companies, despite initiatives like the equalization levy and various programs, highlights the importance of focusing on direct persuasion, support, and guidance from a company-centric perspective.
Source: www.dpa.com
