Posts Tagged ‘Return to work’

National Disability Employment Awareness Month: Avoiding hiring a disabled worker can be risky

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With the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, disabled workers gained expanded legal protections against employers who engage in discriminatory hiring practices.

Employers, however, are at risk of more than just legal charges when they don’t hire disabled workers.

So, what are some of the risks of not hiring a disabled worker?

1. You might be passing over a highly motivated portion of the population. Due to the difficulty of their job search alone, disabled employees are often eager to get started on the job, and especially thankful for the opportunity.

2. You might be limiting the diversity of your company. One of the worst things to be accused of today is being prejudiced, and actions speak louder than words. It’s extremely attractive when a company will accommodate a worker with special needs. The public will gain a better understanding of the type of business that you’re running and the morals that you uphold.

3. You might not be showing the community your values. Undoubtedly, there will be organizations in any company’s local area that support equal employment opportunities for the disabled, as well as community members who are passionate about the cause due to a disabled loved one. Those who care about this cause will choose the establishment that mirrors their values.

There are also intangible benefits to hiring a disabled person, such as the knowledge that your company is giving someone an opportunity to do something that they might have never thought they’d be able to do.

Can you think of any more reasons why not hiring a disabled worker can be risky?

Leave them in a comment!

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Posted on October 20, 2011 by Tim Carney

National Disability Employment Awareness Month: Profit by Investing in Workers with Disabilities

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October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), a nationwide effort led by Congress and the U.S. Department of Labor to make the public aware of the skills that the disabled community contributes to the workforce.

This year, the theme for NDEAM is “profit by investing in workers with disabilities,” and the goal is to educate employers on the benefits of hiring someone with a disability.

All month long, programs and activities will take place across the country to call attention to Americans who are currently working with a disability, are disabled and looking for a fair employment opportunity, or have become too disabled to work.

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 mandated that employers overlook an interviewee’s disability when considering him or her for a job. But no matter what the law is, many disabled people still face adversity when seeking employment.

Fortunately, various resources can help communities identify and confront employment barriers for disabled workers. What would you like to see happen in your community during NDEAM?

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Posted on October 18, 2011 by Tim Carney

$21 million in federal funds to provide more jobs for the disabled

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Part of my morning routine is to skim the headlines for news about Social Security. I spotted a major update last week that’s important to anyone currently receiving or applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).

It was an announcement from the U.S. Department of Labor detailing its plan to fund seven additional states with over $21 million under the Disability Employment Initiative.

The Disability Employment Initiative works to create improved employment opportunities for both adults and youths who are either unemployed or currently receiving Social Security Disability benefits.

The seven new states that will receive the funds are California, Hawaii, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington, and Wisconsin. They will join Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia on the list of states that use the Disability Employment Initiative. It provides the disabled with high-quality training, education, and support in the workforce.

SSDI recipients do have an opportunity to earn income by returning to work while still receiving their SSDI benefits for a limited time. This funding will create even more opportunities for those that are able to work part time. I encourage you to take a look at the news release with all the details of this new funding.

How would you like to see your community use federal funds for disability employment?

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Posted on October 3, 2011 by Tim Carney

Why apply for disability benefits? Because you’ll get more than just cash

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The main reason to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is clear: If you’re approved, you start receiving monthly checks that help offset the loss of a paycheck. But there are many more reasons to apply than just the financial help. Here are five I discuss with applicants every day:

1. Retroactive benefits. When you get approved for SSDI benefits, you receive a lump sum benefit paid retroactively beginning five months after the actual date of disability. So if the date of disability is May 15, 2011, your benefits are payable as of Nov. 1, 2011, always starting on the first of the month. Even if it took a year for the approval to come through, you’ll get the money you deserve. Use that to pay outstanding medical bills or any other financial obligations that you put off for a while.

2. Freeze your retirement benefit calculation. Here’s why that’s important. If you stop working, $0 is factored into your retirement benefit for each year that you were out of work and not receiving any income. So when you begin collecting Social Security Retirement benefits, the amount that you collect for the rest of your life is potentially going to be lower. The more you put into Social Security, the more you get out of it later in life, but the opposite applies as well. If you’re not working, you’re not contributing to Social Security, and you’ll get less later in life. Freezing your retirement benefit calculation is very important to getting you the money you need when you leave the work force.

3. You become eligible for Medicare. Some people have a lot of anxiety about Medicare because there’s so much discussion about the stability of the program. But Medicare is truthfully very strong health insurance, and a lot of SSDI claimants end up with Medicare health plans that are almost exactly like the plans they had when they were working. At The Advocator Group, we help clients evaluate their options when they become eligible for Medicare. We’ll help you choose from Medicare Supplement plans, Medicare Advantage plans, and prescription drug plans that will work best for your individual situation.

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Posted on September 27, 2011 by Tim Carney