Project summary

Objective

All staff and managers are aware of and understand

• the rights of employees with disability to request a workplace adjustment to perform and thrive in their role at work
• workplace adjustments contribute to creating a safe and inclusive workplace
• the processes to implement and fund workplace adjustments

Benefits

• Capacity to attract and retain a diverse workforce that reflects, understands, and supports the communities we serve will be increased.
• Inspire others (particularly students with a disability) to see Education as a positive career choice.

What will success look like?

• The requesting of workplace adjustments through the employee experience will be normalised and be seen as business as usual.
• All major touchpoints along the employee experience to include information about workplace adjustments

How will success be measured?

• Confirmation of workplace adjustment information being included in all major touchpoints along the employee experience.
• People Matter Employee Survey (PMES) results will be used to measure if staff feel their disability is a perceived barrier to success in their role and if staff feel confident in creating and maintaining an inclusive work environment.
• Increase in staff disclosing diversity information in relation to their disability, due to greater awareness and confidence in the support the Department provides.

Key project milestones

Phase 1 – Due: March 2022

1. Develop a formal Workplace Adjustments Policy for people with disability, separate and distinct to that of injury management that frames disability through the lens of the social not medical model.
2. Develop clear internal processes and procedures that align with PSC advice and enable employees with disabilities and their supervisors to have confident conversations around adjustments. These procedures should outline specific timeframes within which adjustments will be implemented and give clear expectations for managers and employees around each step in the process.
3. Collaborate with project and consultation partners on identifying employee life cycle touchpoints where reference will need to be embedded.
4. Develop an employee survey that links self-reporting on disability workforce data with workplace adjustments.

Phase 2– Due: April 2022

1. Develop and implement a communication plan to promote new policy and procedures to project and consultation partners as well as more broadly across the agency.
2. Identify opportunities to speak/ present at key stakeholder events. Such as PPA and SPC events,