This survey fulfils the National Disability Strategy commitment to consult on workforce reporting for large employers (250 employees and above) on disability. The consultation is being led by the Disability Unit, in the Cabinet Office, and responds to calls to improve data and transparency on disability in the workforce.
Through this consultation, the government is exploring how best to increase transparency and reporting practices that support the cultural changes required to build a more inclusive society. Reporting on disability within a workforce has the potential to provide an important baseline from which employers can assess the impact of their inclusive practices on the recruitment and retention of disabled people. How we establish this baseline, however, requires careful consideration.
This consultation includes questions on current practice and how workforce reporting on disability might be stepped up, exploring both voluntary and mandatory reporting practices. We are keen to hear from both employers and disabled employees (and their representative groups).
We will use responses to build an evidence base about:
current reporting practices, and what works well
the case for and against implementing a mandatory approach to reporting
how a mandated approach to reporting, if adopted, might be implemented in practice
if there are alternative approaches that could also be taken to enhance transparency and increase inclusive practices
The consultation is open to organisations and people across the UK, but its primary focus is on Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). This is because employment and equality issues are fully devolved in Northern Ireland. A Welsh language summary and consultation paper is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/disability-workforce-reporting
This consultation is split into the following sections:
About you or your organisation
Section A - Understanding the current landscape
Section B - Benefits and barriers to disability reporting
Section C - Considerations if mandatory disability workforce reporting were to be implemented
Section D - Alternative approaches
Disabled people: The Equality Act (2010) defines disabled people as people with physical and mental conditions that have a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities. In this consultation, ‘disabled people’ also includes people with chronic illnesses that have a substantial and long-term impact on every-day life, and people who identify as neurodiverse.
Disabled person led organisation: These are organisations that are run and controlled by disabled people.
Neurodiversity: Neurodiversity recognises diversity in people’s brains and how brains and minds function. People who are neurodiverse include people with autism, Asperger’s syndrome, dyslexia and dyscalculia.
Protected characteristics: The Equality Act sets out a number of characteristics that it is unlawful to discriminate on the basis of. These characteristics are: age, disability, gender reasignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
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