10th June 2004
Leading disability insurer, UnumProvident, has produced a new guide to help advisers keep up to date with imminent changes to the Disability Discrimination Act, as part of which all employers must ensure their employment practices are not discriminatory.
The Act, which became law in December 1996, is being extended to include Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) from October this year so that all UK businesses will be required to make reasonable adjustments to the physical features of their premises to make them more accessible for people with disabilities, both customers and employees.
This includes all aspects of workplace practices, and encompasses recruitment, training, development and dismissal of staff as well as provision of services to disabled customers.
Joanne Hindle, Corporate Services Director of UnumProvident, said:
As experts in helping disabled people back to work, we are offering this guide to assist advisers in interpreting the changes to the Act and their implications. Not only is this advice relevant to their clients' businesses but also to their own businesses, for in most cases they too will be SME's.
Any employers who don't adhere to the common-sense guidelines set out by the Act could find themselves faced with hefty financial penalties, bad press and low staff morale. Despite this, a recent survey of UK small businesses revealed that more than two-thirds were unaware of the upcoming changes to the Act.
For a hard copy of Your Guide to the Act and its Implications, please e-mail your name and address to John Hutson.
ENDS