The handicapped

A nontraditional source of employees that companies are increasingly turning to are the handicapped.

Under US government programs a handicapped person is anyone who:

Disabled people include those who are visually or hearing impaired, stroke victims, arthritis sufferers, people with mental retardation, amputees, and those recovering from heart disease or accidents.

There are several good reasons for hiring the nation's estimated 35 million handicapped in the US. There is some evidence that the turnover rate for handicapped employees is less. In an industry in which the cost of replacing an hourly employee can amount to USD 1000 (according to the US National Restaurant Association), the savings could be significant.

Handicapped employees also have a better safety record than others. This may be due to an awareness of their limitations; as a result, they take the time to be careful. Contrary to popular belief, hiring the handicapped does not raise insurance rates.

Handicapped employees are motivated by the opportunity they are being given to live a fuller life by contributing to society. Properly nurtured, the result is employees who come in on time and are strongly committed to their jobs.

Several US economic programs are available to hospitality operators to reduce the cost of wages paid to handicapped employees. The On-The-Job Training Project, administered through the state offices of vocational rehabilitation, reimburses employers in part for wages paid to a handicapped employee and for consumable supplies used during training. Over a ten-year period, the project has trained more than 15,000 mentally handicapped people, 85 per cent of whom have been retained by their employers.

A second program in the US, the Federal Targeted Jobs Tax Credit, gives employers a tax credit of 50 per cent of the first USD 16,000 in wages for one year. Job coaching by an on-the-job, agency-provided supervisor is available. The supervisor is there to train, to coach, and to ensure the job gets done even if the employee does not show up for work. In addition, Section 190 of the Tax Reform Act of 1986 in the US provides for up to USD 35,000 in tax credits annually for site improvements that make privately owned, publicly used businesses more accessible to people with disabilities, customers as well as employees.

A final reason for hiring is compliance with affirmative action laws. To be covered by such protection, a person must be capable of performing a particular job with reasonable accommodation, if it is needed, to the person's disability. This may involve such things as adjusting work schedules to avoid rush-hour crowds, restructuring a job, or providing flexible leave policies. It does not apply if the employer can show it would create an undue hardship on the business.

Affirmative action is required by law for businesses that have contracts or subcontracts with the federal government. Although this law has been on the books since 1973, over 90 per cent of companies covered do not comply with it. Less than one in five offers reasonable accommodation, for example, for the physically handicapped. Tougher actions by the federal government are becoming more common.

It must be emphasized that it is against the law for any employer to discriminate against a handicapped person who can still perform the job to be done. Under the US Rehabilitation Act of 1973, equal rights have been mandated for disabled people. In addition, the US Education of All Handicapped Children Act guarantees an appropriate education for every disabled child. The result will be a better educated, organized, and employable group of disabled people in the future.

A number of potential problems arise for the operator desiring to employ the handicapped. There may be initial resentment and apprehension from existing employees. They may have little respect for a new employee, doubting his or her ability to do the job. This initial ignorance and lack of acceptance may not be an insurmountable problem, because the handicapped person is used to such a reaction from others and often anticipates initial resistance.

Another problem is the inability or reluctance of some handicapped individuals to work alone. To overcome this problem a manager may have to use fellow employees as role models so that individuals can imitate their behavior and learn more quickly. Another possibility involves having co-workers in the area give verbal cues to support a new individual so that he or she does not feel alone or unwanted.

A manager has more forms to fill out for handicapped individuals than for other employees during the first few months of development. Records have to be kept on the individual's advancement and on any problems that have occurred. These forms can also chart the progress of the employee and can help a manager decide the appropriate level of reinforcement necessary to maintain employee production. After the first few months of employment, the amount of paperwork should not exceed that for other employees.

However, the amount of time and effort spent on handicapped workers may build resentment within the company from other employees. A program to introduce colleagues to the handicapped worker should be initiated to explain the situation to everyone, leading to better understanding and communication.

The Friendly Restaurant Corporation in the US is one company that has developed a systematic approach to employing the handicapped successfully. The four-step process involves:

In terms of company needs, the mentally handicapped or restored individual may be perfectly satisfied to work the numerous routine, repetitive, mechanical and tedious jobs that need to be done. These are the same jobs that are most victimized by high labor turnover. In the restaurant industry, the handicapped individual may be particularly suited to the duties of dishwasher, stock clerk, bus help, kitchen help, sorter, janitor or truck help. The hotel industry can utilize the mentally handicapped in the housekeeping department in such jobs as porter, painter, office cleaner, janitor, laundry sorter, laundry folder, window washer, floor polisher, supplies stocker and room attendant.

In 1981 the US National Restaurant Association surveyed almost 8,000 association members about the extent to which the handicapped were employed in the food-service industry. Replies from over 1,400 respondents indicated that almost half had employed mentally retarded and physically handicapped workers, while less than one-third had employed mentally or emotionally restored employees. The most important reason given for employing the handicapped was compassion for the less fortunate. However, focusing particularly on the mentally restored, respondents also felt handicapped employees were better than their co-workers in attendance, and most felt the quality of work, job tenure, and motivation to work were at least equal to that of their co-workers. If employees survived the first four weeks of adjusting to a new situation, they tended to stay for a long time. Most were employed in sanitation and food preparation.

A variety of community resources are available to the employer; a listing is included at the end of this chapter. Representatives of these organizations understand the feelings and attitudes of the general public. As such, they can work with management to dispel any anxieties. Typically, managers fear that the public might have negative perceptions of the employees and that there will be an adverse effect on business. There may be a fear of additional responsibility, together with a conscious or unconscious rejection of the disabled employee. The United States President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped and West Virginia University together have created a computer-based information system on job-related limitations and how to adjust for them. In the US information can be requested at 1-800-JAN-PCEH.

A relationship between the employer and the agency can be developed by visiting the agency to meet with the clients, learn what they do, and determine if a job exists that matches their skills. In this way management is sensitized, or trained, as a first step before employees are introduced into the company.

Prior to the actual hiring of a handicapped person, the employer should evaluate that employee to decide what type of work is most suited to the individual's skill level and personality. The employer is concerned with four things:

The last step involves the building and nurturing of the relationship.

Upon hiring a handicapped employee, a hospitality operator needs to adapt orientation and training techniques to the individual's disability. The first step is to introduce the handicapped employee to co-workers. The new employee may need the manager's assistance to help overcome initial uncertainties in interacting with others and performing the required tasks. Next, the manager should familiarize the individual with the policies of the organization, terms of employment, and location of such things as the employee cafeteria, time clock, rest rooms, and so on. After these steps have been taken, the manager can proceed to demonstrate the tasks and duties the individual will be responsible for.

As an exception to the rule, the manager, rather than another employee, should exert direct influence over the handicapped employee's training. The reason is that many handicapped employees seem to adjust more rapidly to the uncertainties of employment when initially given the manager's full support and attention rather than haphazard employee-to-employee training. Naturally the amount of time the manager can give to training will be limited, but as much emphasis should be placed on this activity as time will allow.

Initially the manager may have to make special concessions to a handicapped employee until a transition has been made into the workplace. For example, the manager may have to accommodate the needs of the individual with such things as flexible scheduling, special training, or even special transportation arrangements. Once acclimated, handicapped employees expect to be treated like all others and are able to conform to the rules and regulations of the organization.

In motivating the mentally handicapped, a continuous schedule of positive reinforcement may be necessary to develop new behavior. Money may not work as well as other incentives because a mentally handicapped person might not have a realistic conception of its worth. It has been found that meals, drinks, and verbal praise may be more effective as positive reinforcement for the mentally handicapped.