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Support for employees with disabilities

Company name : Accenture

Activity sector : Administrative services and support activities

Company category : Large company

 

Communicate

Description of the action

Very often, companies are concerned about the well-being of their employees and often want to help them to reconcile 'Work and Family Life'. However, another type of support, which companies think about less often, can be provided in this area of well-being: company support for employees with disabilities who wish to remain active in the company, help to reconcile 'Work and Health'. 

It is in this approach that Accenture wanted to offer an employee with adisability a long-term solution in order to preserve his or her health, while at the same time preserving the social aspect of a salaried activity.

Context

A disabled employee could no longer work as a full-time consultant because of his pathology (cystic fibrosis). He needed more time for his treatments and this no longer coincided with a full-time role.

Accenture looked for a solution that would allow his employee to free up time to complete the necessary treatments while continuing to work in an interesting and motivating role at Accenture.

Objectives

Over the long term, the goal is to continue to ensure that the employee is able to combine personal life and work in the best possible way, but also to continue to grow and develop professionally, regardless of illness, just like any other Accenture employee.

In the short term, Accenture wishes to gather points of contact, information, and steps taken to capitalize on this experience in order to support other potential employees in a similar situation even more effectively in the future.

Approach

Discussions between the employee, Human Resources and management made it possible to determine the employee's needs, the degree of involvement of the company in its procedures according to the employee's wishes, and the feasibility or otherwise of certain options.

It was agreed that the employee wished to continue working, but at a slower pace, while keeping more or less equivalent income, and that Accenture Human Resources had the mission to manage this situation in a personalized manner in collaboration with the employee. 

After several months of steps taken by HR and the employee, the employee has just obtained a professional reclassification with adjustment of his working hours, allowing him to free up time to take care of his health, which corresponds to the employee's initial expectations.

Impact

From a work point of view, the direct impact of implementing this approach was a 50% reduction in the employee's work regime, allowing him more time to take care of his health.

From a remuneration point of view, if the internal reclassification has resulted in a reduction in remuneration, the employee is entitled to a compensatory allowance representing the difference between the old and the new remuneration. This claim has also been made to ensure that the employee retains as much of his or her income as possible.

The pension anddisability insurance taken out by Accenture for its employees is also applied for in order to financially support the employee.

« To do »

  • Basically, an excellent relationship of trust and open and clear communication between employee and employer is crucial. A personalised and confidential approach is essential.
  • The investigation process was the longest and most complex. A 'puzzle' of information had to be put together in order to draw conclusions and proposals to the employee.

« Not to do »

  • Do not treat all cases in the same way, it is important to understand, personalize the approach and adapt to the needs of the employee with a disability.

Keywords : Working conditions and remuneration

Published on 04 July 2017

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