The new online service will give employers the tools they need to empower and encourage disabled employees and those with health conditions as well as create more inclusive work environments and equip employers with advice on how people from all backgrounds can thrive at work and grow the economy.
Businesses and disability groups have been invited to test and shape the new service with the early test version of the Support with Employee Health and Disability service providing essential information about supporting and managing employees with disabilities or health conditions at work.
Any employer can access the service, which provides free advice on how to manage staff who may be in or out of work with a disability or long-term health condition in a user-friendly online Q&A format.
The service is aimed at smaller businesses, many of which do not have in-house HR support or access to an occupational health service and will help them build more diverse and inclusive workforces.
The new service also covers potential changes an employer could make to help them return to and stay in work, supporting a government drive to boost numbers of people in employment and ensuring everyone has the opportunity to benefit from being in work.
The site is currently in test mode, with businesses and disability groups invited to have their say through a short online survey, to help shape the future of the service.
The site will be constantly updated and improved over the next three years, informed by feedback given from the survey.
Once fully developed, the service will also help employers understand their legal obligations, including how to make adjustments for disabled people and those with health conditions.
Over the next three years, the government will invest £1.3 billion in employment support for disabled people and people with health conditions. This money will go towards building up existing provisions, including expanding employment support, to grow the economy and help people with the cost of living.
