The majority of people believe their workplace is inclusive of people living with a disability, according to a web poll conducted by recruiting experts, Hays.

Ahead of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, held annually on 3 December, Hays asked just under 8,000 respondents globally if they felt their workplace is inclusive of people living with a disability. Most people (53%) said that their workplace was inclusive of those with a disability, while 47% said it wasn’t.

According to the World Health Organisation, approximately 15 per cent of the world’s population live with some form of disability. International Day of Persons with Disabilities is an annual day that promotes the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities across areas of society and also gives people an opportunity to join together in support of people living with a disability. The theme for 2021 is ‘Fighting for rights in the post-COVID era’, raising awareness of the challenges, barriers and opportunities for people who live with disabilities, amidst the global pandemic.

Commenting on the results, Sandra Henke, Group Head of People & Culture at Hays, said, “It’s positive to see that the majority of people see their workplace as being inclusive of people living with a disability. The pandemic has accelerated many changes to the world of work, a number of which can be seen as beneficial to workers, such as hybrid working and a greater awareness of the importance of wellbeing and support. As we see these trends quickly developing into new norms within a reshaped workplace, we must stay mindful of the need to ensure that workplace practices and policies continue to feature the added flexibility and adjustments that may be required to support the needs of workers living with a disability”.

Speaking about the day itself, Sandra said, “People living with a disability have been amongst some of the most affected by the pandemic. Our intention is to use this key day to continue to listen and learn from our colleagues in our commitment to create a workplace that is truly accessible to all.”

Hays carried out the poll on LinkedIn on 24 November 2021.

About Hays

Hays plc (the "Group") is a leading global professional recruiting group. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK and Australia and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe, Latin America and Asia. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments. As at 30 June 2021 the Group employed c.10,800 staff operating from 256 offices in 33 countries across 20 specialisms. For the year ended 30 June 2021: