Why hiring people with disability is good medicine for business
As the Federal Government’s new Inclusive Employment Australia program launches on November 1, the chief medical officer of one of Adelaide’s largest employment service providers, Dr Paul Pers, tells why it makes sense.
After four decades working in general practice, occupational health and employment services, I’ve witnessed firsthand what happens when we medicalise everything in our society.
We’ve created a system where people experiencing mental health challenges, chronic conditions, or disability often have good medical care by skilled and well-trained general practitioners, however, their fundamental human need for purpose, connection, and identity remains unaddressed as a result of worklessness.
As the Federal Government’s new Inclusive Employment Australia program launches this week, job seekers with disability are set to benefit from a more flexible, person-centred model that offers long-term support and stronger incentives for inclusive employers.
This initiative represents an Australian Government investment of around $5.5 billion over five years to create meaningful, sustainable employment opportunities for people with disability.
From today, Jobedge will take on greater responsibility for supporting job seekers with disability across Northern Adelaide, Western Adelaide, and the Murraylands, as one of Adelaide’s largest Employment Service Providers.
As we embark on this new chapter, our collective attitudes towards wellbeing and human potential bring into focus not only a significant social issue but also an untapped economic opportunity.
Despite representing over 21 per cent of our population, people with disability face substantial employment barriers, with only 56 per cent of working-age people with disability currently employed, compared with 82 per cent of people without disability.
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This employment gap represents not just lost human potential, but a failure to embrace thousands of motivated, skilled individuals ready to contribute to our state’s workforce at a time when many industries are crying out for workers.
This is where Australian employers hold unprecedented power – not just to hire, but to heal – by creating opportunities in their workforces that allow people with disability to discover – or rediscover – a sense of purpose.
I call this unique environment that work provides, the “Employer Therapeutic Capsule.”
Unlike doctors who are constrained by 15-minute appointments and overwhelmed caseloads who only get a tiny snapshot into people’s physical, mental, and emotional state, employers can provide something medical professionals simply cannot: daily social scaffolding, meaningful identity, and a genuine sense of belonging that can be just as transformative as any prescription.
What I’ve observed through my work with hundreds of participants at Jobedge is that many aren’t primarily thinking about their medical diagnoses when seeking employment. They’re not focused on their bipolar disorder, chronic back pain, or anxiety.
Instead, they’re thinking about fundamental human needs: “Can I buy things for my children? Can I afford my own accommodation rather than living with my parents indefinitely? Can I participate socially, go to the pub, attend a football match, build relationships?”
These aren’t medical problems requiring clinical solutions. They’re social and economic challenges that employment uniquely addresses. Meanwhile, research shows that when the right environment exists, people with disability thrive.
The “Employer Therapeutic Capsule” comes into effect through its ability to provide a persistent mild antidote to what I term “multiple life predicaments” – the daily stresses and challenges we all face each day. Rather than viewing disability through a medical lens, progressive employers are able to adopt what I call a ” judicious business approach,” recognising the unique value of each human being and allowing them to feel valued.
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This approach is so powerful because it addresses three fundamental human needs that traditional healthcare cannot: social connection, identity and purpose, and economic independence.
Yet the business case for embracing the employer therapeutic capsule isn’t merely social responsibility; it’s sound business strategy. Research has shown that businesses hiring disabled employees can have 28 per cent higher revenue, 30 per cent higher economic profit margins, and 111 per cent higher net income.
The benefits extend beyond financial performance, driving retention and loyalty leading to lower staff turnover and recruitment costs, enhanced productivity, and greater innovation and problem-solving among staff.
The “prescription” for successful disability employment isn’t complicated. Through Jobedge’s work across Adelaide, we’ve identified a number of key ingredients.
Firstly, people with disability want preparation, not pity, with our shared responsibility being to ensure they are equipped with practical skills and aptitudes.
Secondly we need to adopt a common sense approach to integration, with research by the Department of Labor in the US finding that half of all job accommodations cost employers nothing, and when they do have a cost, it’s usually a very small one-time expense.
Thirdly, the most successful placements occur when employers and employees have honest conversations: “Tell me what’s important to you, and I’ll tell you what’s important to me. Let’s see how we can marry that up.”
Employers don’t need medical training to dispense this therapeutic intervention. They need patience, understanding, and recognition that supporting employees doesn’t require excessive effort.
What works is often simple: small periods of specific positive feedback, reasonable accommodations, and the grounded business approach that successful employers already use with all their staff.
When employers embrace their role in the “Therapeutic Capsule,” they’re not just filling positions, they’re transforming lives while strengthening their own organisations. In a tight labour market where skills shortages persist, this represents both moral imperative and competitive advantage.
The medicine is available. The prescription is clear. The question for employers in Adelaide and across South Australia is whether they’re ready to become part of the cure.
Dr Paul Pers is a director at Jobedge and serves as chief medical officer.
