People with disability
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Progress towards target
Definitions of disability include a broad range of conditions. Encouraging employees to share they have a disability in payroll systems has been challenging for the Queensland public sector.
While 3.63% of the workforce have a disability in the MOHRI data set, 11.74% of 2024 WfQ survey respondents have shared they have a disability.
Only 33% of WfQ respondents indicated that they reported they have a disability in their organisation’s payroll system.
To understand this further, a set of questions was asked only of respondents with disability about whether they have shared their information in payroll, and why if they had not.
The main reasons given for not sharing through payroll, were they didn’t see any reason or benefit in doing so, they didn’t feel their disability was significant enough and they were concerned sharing may impact their career. Focusing on employee engagement, trust in the organisation and experiences of respect, safety and inclusion may encourage sharing in data collections.
Employee engagement
Compared with the total workforce employee engagement score of 60%, the score of 55% for people with disability indicates there is work to be done to engage this cohort.
The 2024 engagement data for people with disability is generally higher than the 2023 and 2022 data.
While employee engagement has improved over time for people with disability, there remains a clear difference in employment experience between those people with disability and those without.
In the 2024 WfQ survey:
- perceptions of pride for people with disability are 61%, compared with 71% for those who do not have disability
- recommendation for people with disability is 57% compared to 66% for those that do not
- inspiration is 52% for people with disability compared to 60% for those that do not
- motivation is 51% for people with disability compared to 60% for those that do not
- personal attachment is 51% for people with disability compared to 57% for those that do not.
| Employees with disability | Employees without disability | |
|---|---|---|
| Employee engagement | 55% | 63% |
| I am proud to tell others I work for my organisation | 61% | 71% |
| I would recommend my organisation as a great place to work | 57% | 66% |
| My organisation inspires me to do the best in my job | 52% | 60% |
| My organisation motivates me to help it achieve its objectives | 51% | 60% |
| I feel strong personal attachment to my organisation | 51% | 57% |
Source: WfQ 2024.
Safe, respect and included
Compared with people without a disability, people with disability feel less safe and particularly less respected and less included.
| % positive employees with disability | % positive employees without disability | |
|---|---|---|
| As an employee of this organisation, I feel safe at work | 73% | 83% |
| As an employee of this organisation, I feel respected at work | 64% | 77% |
| As an employee of this organisation, I feel included at work | 63% | 76% |
| Safe, respected, included | 66% | 79% |
Source: WfQ 2024.
The impact of feeling safe, respected and included for people with disability
When employees with disability agree or strongly agree that they feel safe, respected and included at work, employee engagement increases from 55% to 75%.
- recommendation: increases from 57% to 80%
- pride: increases from 61% to 81%
- personal attachment: increases from 51% to 67%
- motivation: increases from 51% to 73%
- inspiration: increases from 52% to 74%.
Source: WfQ 2024.
Workplace adjustments
Workplace adjustments (also known as reasonable adjustments) are of particular importance to diversity and inclusion. Workplace adjustments are practical measures to address public sector workplaces, processes and role designs that present barriers for some groups to access and fully participate in the workforce. Adjustments are varied and depend on individual needs but may include ramps, ergonomic chairs, assistive technologies like screen readers or speech-to-text software, flexible work arrangements, quiet spaces, noise minimisation headphones or job redesign.
Data trends relating to adjustments have changed little in past years, particularly with respect to use of formal adjustments. However, the number of people with flexible workplace agreements has increased notably, while informal workplace adjustments have increased marginally.
| Workplace adjustment in place | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes, I have a reasonable adjustment agreement: a formal agreement (with for example a manager, human resources or an occupational health and safety representative) stating changes to the work environment that allows me to work safely and productively | 5% | 5% | 4% |
| Yes, I have a flexible workplace agreement: can include, but is not limited to, compressed work hours, telecommuting, flexible working hours | 19% | 17% | 15% |
| Yes, I have an informal adjustment agreement: normally a conversation between myself and my supervisor agreeing to adjustments | 12% | 11% | 10% |
| No, I did not realise I could request workplace adjustment to accommodate my disability | 9% | 9% | 10% |
| No, I have not requested a workplace adjustment | 29% | 30% | 28% |
| No, I have not disclosed my disability in my workplace | 17% | 18% | 23% |
| I requested an adjustment, but it was not available/supported | 3% | 4% | 3% |
| Other | 6% | 6% | 6% |
Source: WfQ 2022–2024.
Career progression
The consistent and wide-spread use of adjustments is a key enabler to career progression—both within organisations and across the sector.
Where people with disability have been applicants in a recruitment process in the Queensland public sector in the last 12 months, 81% have said the process was accessible and inclusive.
The proportion of people with disability applying for jobs across the sector being asked by panels if they require an adjustment at first communication has increased over the past three years, from 10% to 16%.
The proportion of people that have not been asked at all, has also decreased.
| Asked about accessibility, adjustments and support requirements during the recruitment process | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes, at first communication e.g. invitation for interview | 16% | 13% | 10% |
| Yes, prior to the interview/assessment | 9% | 10% | 6% |
| Yes, at the interview/assessment | 5% | 7% | 5% |
| No, I had chosen not to disclose my disability | 30% | 30% | 35% |
| No, not at all | 27% | 32% | 31% |
| No, I had to ask about reasonable adjustments | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| I don't recall | 18% | 17% | 20% |
Source: WfQ 2022–2024.
Disability as a barrier to success
In 2024, 53% of respondents with disability felt that having a disability was not a barrier to their success. However, 66% of their colleagues without disability felt having a disability was not a barrier to success.
The data suggests that there is work to be done for people without disability to better understand the experience and barriers presenting their colleagues with disability.
Diversity in action
Having a consistent and transparent process and a culture that normalises access to workplace adjustments (also known as reasonable adjustments) is critical in supporting cross-sector career mobility for people with disability.
Workplace adjustments are practical changes managers and employees can take to ensure our workplaces, processes and role designs don’t present barriers, and allow all employees to fully participate in the workforce.
To support the implementation of workplace adjustments, the Public Sector Commission published resources to guide HR practitioners, employees and managers.
Importantly, the resources promote a consistent process and greater understanding, which underpins the portability of adjustments. Portability of adjustments is a significant factor for many people with disability when considering career mobility. Having to renegotiate adjustments with each career move can be a barrier and burden on employees.