Holly Atyeo, people partner – culture, wellbeing and engagement at Bupa, discusses the importance of an inclusive workplace and her tips for supporting disabled employees.
At Bupa Dental Care, our people are our most valuable asset. They provide hands-on quality care to our patients every day. To serve the diverse needs of our patients, we know it’s important to equip our people with awareness to foster an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.
Through our ‘Everyone is Welcome’ pledge, we are committed to creating an environment where people are accepted as themselves. Becoming the official healthcare partner for ParalympicsGB has further supported our efforts in driving inclusion in the workplace and our work to break down barriers in wider society.
Supporting disabled employees
Recent research with disability equality charity, Scope, revealed the majority of disabled employees have experienced poor mental health due to a lack of support at work. Many feel their managers aren’t given the tools to support them effectively, with accessibility barriers hindering their career growth and impacting work performance.
This demonstrates an opportunity for businesses to empower managers with the resources needed to support all colleagues. Only one in three line managers have the tools to manage disabled employees, and others have never received training to support disabled colleagues.
Here are some tips for line managers
- Highlight support: Make sure everyone is aware of available support, including flexible and hybrid working options, external organisations, charities, staff networks and community forums, and resource groups
- Communication and training: It’s important for everyone to understand the significance of inclusion and how to support a team. Regularly providing training on disability awareness (including non-visible disabilities) and inclusion practice is key. Also, don’t forget to think about your team members’ needs when organising meetings, training sessions, social events and communications
- Regular reviews and feedback: It’s important to check in regularly to see how well the adjustments and support we’re offering are working. Also make sure to gather feedback from our colleagues with disabilities to understand their experiences and see where we can make things even better. This will help you make any necessary changes and enhance your inclusion efforts
- Lead by example: As a line manager, set the tone by showing inclusive behaviour, empathy, understanding and respect towards everyone. Encourage your team to do the same. A disability employee network is an excellent way to support your teams – it gives employees the chance to ask questions, discuss topics, get support from colleagues with similar experiences and learn about disabilities. Plus, it provides a platform for all staff to work collaboratively and make positive change
- Understanding non-visible disabilities: It’s important to remember that some disabilities aren’t as visible as others. Certain conditions can cause symptoms such as pain, fatigue, or memory problems that may not be readily apparent. However, the impact these disabilities have on someone’s life is still quite significant. We refer to these as non-visible disabilities, which also encompass sensory impairments like hearing loss and mental health conditions.
Creating an inclusive workplace
Here, Jessica Moore, marketing manager at Bupa Dental Care, shares her experience living with Brittle Bones Disease and how this impacts her day-to-day and at work.
‘I was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (Brittle Bone Disease), which means that my bones are weak and break easily. I’ve had hundreds of fractures (I stopped counting at 100!) and multiple surgeries to put metal rods in my bones to support them. I can break a bone from trauma or from simply sitting in one position for too long, so I really don’t know when it’s going to happen or how severe it may be.
‘Going into the world of work, I was definitely worried about what support I’d receive and how my employers would react to potentially having to take time off, but thankfully, all of my employers have been brilliant. I’ve worked really hard to get to where I am in my career, although I still worry that my condition might set me back and suffer from a bit of imposter syndrome.
‘In terms of creating inclusive workplaces, I would say no disability is the same. Everyone has different needs and abilities, so there really is no ‘one size fits all’ approach. For me, it’s all about open communication, flexibility and empathy.’
She adds: ‘I struggle to push my wheelchair outdoors and manage hills/curbs as my arms are quite weak. Therefore, travelling to different offices and navigating public transport can be incredibly difficult, and I need someone to support me.
‘I rely on my adapted vehicle to get around and feel much more in control of the situation when I can drive to my destination. A simple fix of changing the location of meetings to somewhere more accessible and ensuring step-free access is a huge help.
‘If businesses implemented a checklist system to flag if anyone attending has any accessibility needs before booking meetings/travel, this would support a more inclusive approach.
‘I also have considerably more hospital appointments than the average person, which can sometimes take a long time if I’m having treatment or scans. I usually ask to work flexibly to make the time up which Bupa is fantastic at supporting. I think flexibility with any disability is key, and an open and honest culture really supports this.’
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This article is sponsored by Bupa Dental Care.
