Employer disability reporting has improved but this data “must be put to good use” for an organisation and its employees to see the benefit.
Office for National Statistics data shows there are currently 5.67million people with disabilities in the workplace (July to Sept 2024, data released 12 November 2024).
This is an increase on the same period in 2023 when 5.32m disabled people were employed.
However, Grid said that while the previous government’s target to get one million more disabled people into employment by 2027 appears to have been met, it disguises the increase in the total number of disabled people of working age. It also fails to show the increase in the number of people with disabilities who are currently unemployed.
Increase in reporting
Grid research shows that there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who report the proportion of their staff with disabilities.
In 2023, 50 percent of employers said that they collect this information, which has risen to 71 percent in 2024.
Data impact
However, the group risk industry body found that of those employers that collect information only 60 percent use it to inform diversity and inclusion (D&I) practices and initiatives.
Further findings show that 57 percent do it to inform talent management practices, 52 percent use the data to track progress made on their D&I initiatives, and only 46 percent use it to shape recruitment practices.
Katharine Moxham, spokesperson for Grid, said: “Improving employment practices for disabled people is important as that shapes an organisation’s approach, but employers must ensure they respond to the individual needs of both current and future employees.
“As it’s not mandatory for employees to report a disability to their employer, disability data is likely to underreport the numbers affected. However, if comprehensive support is put in place, it can be accessed by everyone whether they are able-bodied, have visible disabilities, or a non-apparent disability, whether they are newly disabled or have been living with a disability for a long time.”
The industry body emphasised that group risk benefits can be key in providing the depth and breadth of support required for disabled employees. These benefits offer employer support such as legal and HR helplines.
Moxham said: “It’s anticipated that large employers’ staff will soon be expected to report on their disability pay gap but this could be a big step for some if they don’t report on any employee disability data at present. We’d suggest that all employers start collecting disability data to inform their current practices better, support staff with existing needs, and to put themselves in a good position should new legislation be confirmed.”
