People living with disability
An employee is considered to be living with disability if they have a limitation, restriction or impairment which has lasted, or is likely to last, for at least six months and restricts their everyday activities.
There are many kinds of disabilities, with many listed in the Working for Queensland survey.
Progress towards the target
- A target of 12% of the workforce equates to 36,964 employees disclosing that they live with disability.
- At March 2024, 3.54% of employees or 10,913 people disclosed that they live with disability.
Source: MOHRI March 2024.
Research indicates that employees feel more comfortable identifying their diversity status in an anonymous survey rather than in payroll records, which is the source for MOHRI data.
This issue was explored in the Working for Queensland survey, in which 11% of respondents disclosed that they live with disability. Of the respondents that did disclose that they live with disability, 44% indicated that they had not disclosed this information in the payroll system.
When respondents were asked why they had not provided this information, the top three reasons provided by respondents were:
- they did not see a benefit or reason to provide this information – 47%
- they didn’t feel their disability was significant enough to disclose – 43%
- concern over being discriminated against – 36%
While noting respondents could tick multiple responses to this question, this data indicates that there remains work to be done in ensuring employees feel safe providing this data and also understand how it will be protected.
Employee experiences
- The employee engagement score for respondents living with disability is 52%
- For respondents not living with disability, the engagement score is 60%
- There is a notable variance in the scores across all elements of engagement, with people living with disability less engaged.
| % positive | ||
|---|---|---|
| Living with disability | Not living with disability | |
| I am proud to tell others I work for my organisation. | 59% | 68% |
| I would recommend my organisation as a great place to work. | 53% | 62% |
| My organisation inspires me to do the best in my job. | 49% | 57% |
| My organisation motivates me to help it achieve its objectives. | 48% | 56% |
| I feel strong personal attachment to my organisation. | 50% | 55% |
Source: Working for Queensland 2023.
Diversity as a barrier to success
- 64% of employees without a disability say disability is not a barrier to success.
- 52% of employees with a disability say disability is not a barrier to success.
There is scope for the sector to improve general awareness of the barriers experienced by those living with a disability.
With such a difference in perception between the two groups, it becomes difficult for people not living with disability to make appropriate adjustments and respond sensitively to the experiences of those employees that do live with disability.
The Thriving at work, growing a career research report highlighted the importance of mobility and equitable access to recruitment and selection processes in the career success of people living with disability. The Working for Queensland survey explores these factors.
In the 2023 Working for Queensland survey, 3,190 people living with disability were applicants in a recruitment and selection process in the public sector in the past 12 months. Of this cohort, 80% found the recruitment process to be accessible and inclusive.
As fair and equitable recruitment practices are a core requirement of the Act and the Recruitment and selection directive (07/23), this result is positive.
Those employees living with disability, and who were applicants in a recruitment and selection process were also asked if those managing the process had asked if they required accessibility, adjustments and support requirements during the recruitment process.
This question was asked not because the individual applicant necessarily had shared that they lived with disability, but because it’s an important question to ask of all applicants.
Asking the question sends a strong message that diversity is genuinely respected and accommodated in the workplace.
32% of respondents were not asked at all if they required or could benefit from an adjustment in the process. While this data has improved between 2022 and 2023, there is clearly work to be done with those responsible for recruitment processes across the sector.
| % positive | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2023 | |
| Yes, at first communication e.g. invitation for interview | 10% | 13% |
| Yes, prior to the interview/assessment | 6% | 10% |
| Yes, at the interview/assessment | 5% | 7% |
| No, I had chosen not to disclose my disability | 35% | 30% |
| No, not at all | 31% | 32% |
Source: Working for Queensland 2022 and 2023.
Employees living with disability were also asked if they would feel confident applying for different job opportunities within their current organisation and with other organisations in the Queensland public sector.
For people living with disability who do require adjustments, there has been improvement between 2022 and 2023 on both comfort applying for new opportunities within their organisation and within other organisations.
For respondents that do not need adjustments, confidence in applying for jobs inside the organisation and in other organisations has decreased.
| % positive | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2023 | |
| Yes, I would feel confident working in other areas of my organisation – I don't need any adjustments and do not feel like my disability limits my opportunity | 46% | 43% |
| Yes, I feel confident that other areas of my organisation would accommodate my needs/adjustments | 19% | 21% |
| No, I would not feel confident working in other areas of my organisation – I don't need any adjustments but my disability limits my opportunity | 9% | 9% |
| No, I feel that the reasonable adjustments I require limits my internal career pathways | 10% | 11% |
| Don't know | 14% | 14% |
| Prefer not to say | 8% | 8% |
Source: Working for Queensland 2022 and 2023.
| % positive | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2023 | |
| Yes, I would feel confident working outside of my organisation – I don't need any adjustments and do not feel like my disability limits my opportunity | 45% | 41% |
| Yes, I feel confident that other areas outside of my organisation would accommodate my needs/adjustments | 18% | 21% |
| No, I would not feel confident working outside my organisation – I don't need any adjustments but my disability limits my opportunity | 8% | 9% |
| No, I feel that the reasonable adjustments I require limits my external career pathways | 8% | 9% |
| Don't know | 17% | 18% |
| Prefer not to say | 8% | 8% |
Source: Working for Queensland 2022 and 2023.
Sharing information about living with disability
Between 2022 and 2023, the proportion of Working for Queensland survey respondents, living with disability, who were comfortable having conversations with their manager about their disability increased.
The 2023 data also shows this conversation is happening earlier in the employment relationship.
| % positive | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2023 | |
| Yes | 48% | 54% |
| No | 38% | 32% |
| Prefer not to say | 14% | 14% |
Source: Working for Queensland 2022 and 2023.
| % positive | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2023 | |
| When I was invited for the interview | 9% | 11% |
| During the interview process | 12% | 14% |
| After being offered the job | 10% | 12% |
| After I had commenced work | 89% | 87% |
Source: Working for Queensland 2022 and 2023.
Adjustments in recruitment and selection processes to ensure people living with disability feel able to progress their careers and participate in an inclusive workplace are highlighted in the Disabling the barriers to employment in the Queensland public sector implementation plan .