Making Work Accessible: Retention

Welcome to this series of posts on Making Work Accessible! I’m so excited to share this deeper dive into accessibility at work, based on some content from a recent webinar and presentation. We’re going to explore the phases of the employee life cycle: Attraction, Recruitment, Onboarding, Development, and Retention. I’ll share some accessibility and inclusion best practices in each of these areas, and also include a related benefit of disability inclusion.

In HR, “retention” refers to the ability of an organization to keep its current employees and prevent employee turnover. What does that look like for people with disabilities?

Retaining Employees with Disabilities

Retention Best Practices

• Say yes to accommodations so people can get the work done – and make overall changes to policies and practices
• Provide clear performance expectations and regular feedback
• Provide accessible facilities, transportation, and communication
• Train leaders on challenges faced by disabled employees

Retention Business Benefit

Employee Engagement and Retention: When employees with disabilities feel valued and included, they tend to be more engaged and loyal. Studies show a positive correlation between disability inclusion and employee retention rates.

How Do I Do This?

I’d love for you to get in touch to chat about how I may be able to help you implement these best practices!

Sources and Further Reading

• Employer Assistance and Resource Network: Accommodations and Retention
• Office of Personnel Management: Retaining Employees with Disabilities
• Investing in People is Investing in the Future: How Disability Inclusion Reduces Turnover
• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: Retaining Persons with Disabilities in the Federal Workforce