In recent years, companies nationwide are recognizing the benefits of having remote workers as we’ve seen an increase in this practice across many industries.
Recruiting expert, Matt Charney, recently wrote an article for Allegis Global Solutions posing the question, does remote work, work? Matt highlighted a recent Stanford study that found offering work from home opportunities cut attrition rates by 50%.
This finding led Getting Hired to take a deeper dive into our community to see how working from home is impacting the disability hiring landscape.
Does the option to work from home appeal to job seekers with disabilities?
Yes! In the last few years, we’ve seen an increase on our job board of our job seekers with disabilities searching for work from home or telecommuting jobs with our inclusive employers.
Here’s why there’s been an increase in the appeal for work from home jobs:
- Telecommuting provides flexibility for employees to work conveniently from their home. This is beneficial for job seekers who rely on caregivers or public transportation to get to work.
- It enhances productivity as it decreases the possibility for workplace distractions.
- Work from home opportunities create a wider net for active job seekers to apply to nationwide careers rather than only positions close to home.
- Remote work supports job seekers with disabilities who seek a flexible schedule and need alternative work arrangements due to their disability.
- If the job seeker frequently goes to the doctor, it provides a convenience of being closer to their doctor to have appointments during lunch breaks, removing the time lost for commuting.
It’s important to note, not all job seekers with disabilities are looking to work from home full-time. We asked a Getting Hired job seeker with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) who is an Analyst for a Financial Services company about her thoughts on working from home. She shared that her employer provides her with a reasonable accommodation that allows her to work from home once a month so after she receives her MS treatment infusion, she doesn’t need to commute back to work and she can log on from home.
For more information about reasonable accommodations for working from home, the EEOC has a great overview of frequently asked questions by employers.
What employers are offering work from home jobs?
Our nationwide employers are always trying to fill work from home positions. Amazon, UnitedHealth Group, Lincoln Financial Group and IBM are some examples of employers who have recently posted remote jobs for our job seekers with disabilities to apply for! We encourage job seekers with disabilities to check our website daily for these opportunities to see the most up to date career options.
Inclusive organizations looking to enhance their disability hiring strategy should reach out to our Account Management team to collaborate on a customized and inclusive talent acquisition strategy for your business. In the meantime, follow Getting Hired on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest in disability hiring news and tips.
