United Nations Global Compact
The United Nations Global Compact web site is at www.unglobalcompact.com
Overview
The United Nations Global Compact is a voluntary corporate citizenship initiative, whish commenced with teh Secretary-General's invitation to business to join an international initiative that would bring companies together with UN agencies, labour and civil society to advance universal social and environmental principles. It has global application and contains a set of ten principles relating to the environment, human right, workers' rights and anti-corruption.
The advice included here provides practical guidance on implementation of the Global Compact principles, with specific reference to disability issues.
Disability issues are relevant to a number of Global Compact principles, including Principle Six, which states that:
“Business should uphold the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation”.
The definition of discrimination in employment and occupation offered on the Global Compact web site is “any distinction, exclusion or preference which has the effect of nullifying or impairing equality of opportunity or treatment in employment or occupation” and is made on the basis of “race, colour, sex religion, political opinion, national extraction or social origin”. Following discussions with The Forum, we are delighted that disability has been added to this list. In the UK, there are around 10 million people with disability or 15% of the population. This proportion is broadly similar globally, meaning there are 610 million people with disabilities worldwide. They should have equal rights to everyone else and be free from discrimination.
The Global Compact web site explains that discrimination can arise in a variety of work-related activities, all of which can apply to people with disabilities. These include:
- Access to employment and to particular occupations. Recruitment methods and selection tests should be accessible to people with disabilities and not be discriminatory against them.
- Access to training, development and vocational guidance. Adjustments to training programmes may need to me made to enable access by employees with disabilities. Companies should also ensure that employees with disabilities have the same consideration given to their training and development needs as their colleagues. Companies may also provide suitable disability equality training for employees to help them understand the needs of colleagues with disabilities, customers and other stakeholders.
- There is also a need to ensure fairness in the appraisal of employees with disabilities so that their disability and any adjustments made to enable them to do their job are not counted as negative factors in assessint their performance. For example, if it has been agreed that an employee will work reduced hours, this should not be counted against them in measuring their productivity.
- Equal opportunity in terms and conditions of employment, such as for example equal renumeration, hours of work and rest, paid holidays, maternity leave security of tenure, advancement, social secutiry. It may be that by agreement, standard terms and conditions will be varied for an employee with a disability, but thus should be done on a fair basis that leaves their renumeration on an equitable basis when compates with that for other employees.
- Occupational safety and health. Processes should be introduced to ensure that the company's physical environments are safe for employees, customers and other visitors with disabilities. Actions should be taken to make prompt reasonable adjustments for employees, customers and other visitors with disabilities to company premises.
Non-discromination means simply that employees are selected on the basis of their abiliti to do the job and that there is no disctinction, exclusion or preference made on other grounds. Employees who experience discrimination at work are denied opportunities and have their basic human rights infringed. This affects the individual concerned and negatively influences the contribution they might make to the company and the wider society
Suggested Actions
Companies can put in place specific adtivities to address the question of discrimination and eliminate it within the workplace. Some examples include:
- Assign responsibility for equal employment issues at senior level, issue clear company-wide policy and procedures to guide equal employment practices, and link advancemnt to desired performence in this area.
- Institute company policies and procedures that make qualifications, skill and experience the basis for the recruitmenr, placement, training and advancement of staff at all levels. Reasonable adjustments or accommodations may need to be made in order for disabled employees to ensure these employees for training and advancement as their peers. Recruitment and selection processes should be accessible to potential applications with disabilities
- Establish programmes to promote access to skills development training. Training should be fully accessible to disabled employees in all aspects, including materials and premises.
- Provide staff training on disability awareness.
- Introduce management performance targets on disability management.
- Monitor recruitment, training and promition and maintain records that provide a transparent view of opportunities for employees and their progression within the organisation.
- Where discrimination is identified, develop grievance procedures to address complaints, handle appeals and provide recourse for employees. These procedures should be tested to ensure they are accessible to employees which disabilities and that they would feel comfortable in using them should they wish to.
- Work on a case by case basis to evaluate whether a feature is an inherent requirement of a job, and avoid systematic application of job requirements in a way that would disadvantage certain groups.
- Be aware of formal structures and informatl cultural issues that can prevent employees from raising concerns and grievances. Companies may run network groups of diabled employees, which can give them the opportunity and confidence to raise issues.
Outside the workplace companies also have a role to play in eliminating discrimination, for example by supporting efforts in the community to improve access and inclusion for disabled people. Employees with disabilities should be given the same opportunity as other employees to shoose and take part in any company supported comunity activities and employee volunteering programmes.