Focusing on the ability of disability
Australia ranks 21 and New Zealand 13 out of 29 OECD countries in workforce participation by people with disabilities. So, what is Bupa doing to make a difference?
Internally, Bupa developed the Accessibility Employee Network last year, which has reached a number of great milestones, including partnering with the Australian Network on Disability on mentoring and internship programs at Bupa.
These initatives are positively contributing to how Bupa's employees can create an environment for fellow employees with disabilities to help grow and succeed.
Bupa is one of three Victorian Organisations who will take part in Victorian Employer Enablement Project, VEEP, throughout 2018.
VEEP is a time-limited initiative of the Victorian Government to provide expert resources to help select employers reap the business benefits of including people with disability in their workforces.
This will include Bupa becoming a disability confident employer in terms of recruitment and workplace adjustments, as well as actively recruiting people with disabilities at Bupa.
This is important as being accessible is a core part of Bupa's focus on Inclusion, and it will ensure that as a business represent the communities they serve.
Bupa's Customer Growth team were quick off the mark to adopt this program, which will see 10 employees join the Bupa family over the course of the next 12 months.
Different thoughts and ideas is what makes a business successful and we can only achieve this when we have a diverse workforce, which is why programs like this are so important.
International and Australian evidence confirms that people with disability (especially those with invisible disability such as mental health), are unlikely to share information and request an adjustment unless there is a strong culture of trust and inclusion.
Emily Amos, Managing Director for Health Services, who has recently taken on the role of Executive Sponsor for Diversity and Inclusion believes there is still a lot for Bupa to learn.
“One of the biggest barriers for employers is not knowing what to do and being a part of this initiative will provide huge benefits to Bupa to develop our expertise and truly understand what we need to do better,” Ms Amos said.
Find out more about VEEP.
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