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Model Employer Informational Session

We are shaping an inclusive workforce. Model Employer Informational Session. The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 1. Agenda. Introductions Background on Model Employer Initiative Goals/Objectives Our starting point – Where we are now? What are the numbers?

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Model Employer Informational Session

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  1. We areshaping an inclusive workforce Model EmployerInformational Session The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 1

  2. Agenda Introductions Background on Model Employer Initiative Goals/Objectives Our starting point – Where we are now? What are the numbers? Have we made progress? What does success look like? Connecting to the Stakeholders Focus Group Feedback Common Themes and Responses Self-Identification – feedback & response “We Are” “I Am” Education and Training Reasonable accommodation – feedback & response Educational effort RACRA Recruitment, Hiring and Promoting Employees with Disabilities – feedback & action response Acknowledgements and Questions The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 2

  3. Background Executive Order 478 • Signed by Governor Patrick, January 2007 Employment Guidelines for Executive Branch • Updated November 2007 The Disability Task Force on Employment • Formed May of 2008, to: • Examine Executive Branch’s policies & practices, and • Research best practices in the public and private sector as they pertain to attracting, hiring, promoting, and retaining people with disabilities. The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 3

  4. Background Cont. Task Force goal: • Make the Executive Branch a model employer • Develop Strategic Plan implementing policies and practices that welcome people with disabilities of all ages as valuable contributors to the workforce. The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 4

  5. Strategic Plan Goals and Objectives • Seek to increase the number of people with disabilities employed by the Executive Branch. • Explore methods to ensure the successful retention and promotion of state workers with disabilities and older workers who age into disability. • Foster an environment and a workforce able to support and facilitate the employment of people with disabilities. The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 5

  6. Our starting point– Where we are now? • As of Quarter One FY10 the Executive Branch of the Commonwealth employed 1092 (2.4%) self-identified persons with disabilities. The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 6

  7. Manager Representation • Persons with Disabilities represent 3.1% of the overall managers in the executive branch workforce. • 11.4% of the workforce with disabilities are managers. The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 7

  8. Professional Representation • Persons with disabilities represent 3.1% of the professionals overall in the executive branch workforce. • 60.4% of the workforce with disabilities are professionals. The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 8

  9. Technicians • Persons with Disabilities represent 2.2% of the technicians in the overall executive branch workforce. • 3.8% of the workforce with disabilities are technicians. The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 9

  10. Office Clerical Representation • Persons with Disabilities represent 4.1% of the overall Office Clerical workforce in the Executive Branch. • 12.5% of the workforce with disabilities are in Office Clerical positions. The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 10

  11. Service Maintenance • Persons with disabilities represent 2.2% of service maintenance in the overall executive branch workforce. • 2.7% of the workforce with disabilities are in the service maintenance positions. The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 11

  12. Connecting to Stakeholders-- How it was organized • Commissioned Independent Facilitator • University of Massachusetts Medical School • Sought feedback from three key stakeholder groups • Employees • Hiring Managers • ADA Coordinators The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 12

  13. Connecting to the Stakeholders Asked participants to share experiences and perceptions regarding: • Self-identification of disability; • Disclosure and reasonable accommodation; • Recruiting, hiring, promoting and retaining employees with disabilities; • How agency culture affects on such experiences The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 13

  14. Self-Identification • Feedback: In general, employees with disabilities: • Lack awareness that self-identification is a distinct and separate process from disclosure & the request for reasonable accommodation • Are unaware of whom to contact to self-identify • Are unaware of how to request accommodation • Response: • We Are / I am campaign • Training The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 14

  15. Marketing Campaign The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 15

  16. Reasonable Accommodation • Feedback: In general, ADA Coordinators and hiring managers agree: • Agencies have the capacity to provide basic reasonable accommodations to the physical work place and equipment, • Providing other types of accommodations are often challenging. • Funding for accommodations can be a problem. • Response: • Reasonable Accommodation Capital Reserve Account (RACRA) • Training/education The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 16

  17. Reasonable Accommodation Capital Reserve Account (RACRA) • RACRA is a back stop when an agency finds that it cannot meet the costs of providing reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities. • Note: The RACRA Fund is intended to supplement agency resources to respond to reasonable accommodation requests, but not to supplant them. The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 17

  18. Goals and Objectives of RACRA • Five-year goals • Provide some financial relief to agencies that are successful in hiring and retaining employees with disabilities • Determine long-term funding needs for this activity • Begin to establish a centralized structure for addressing reasonable accommodation and related issues in the workforce. The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 18

  19. Process • Agency: • Assesses accommodation request • Establishes Cost(s) • If over $2500, may apply to the Reserve Account • If spending on RA so far in the Fiscal Year is over 0.5% of Agency Budget, may apply to the Reserve Account • Completes and transmits application or asks questions to Barbara Lybarger at MOD barbara.lybarger@state.ma.us The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 19

  20. Recruiting, Hiring and Promoting Employees with Disabilities • Feedback: All focus groups expressed: • A lack of awareness of systemic recruitment and hiring efforts for people with disabilities. • Response: • Campaign to heighten awareness • Training The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 20

  21. AcknowledgementsTaskforce Principals • Paul Dietl, Chief Human Resources Officer • Myra Berloff, Director - MOD • Ronald Marlow, Assistant Secretary for Access and Opportunity, ANF • Jean McGuire, Assistant Secretary for Disability Policies and Programs, EOHHS The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 21

  22. AcknowledgmentsTaskforce Members - • Sandra Borders, Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity • Charles Carr, Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission • Dean Denniston, Executive Office of Health and Human Services • Stan Eichner, Executive Office of Health and Human Services • Irma Gutierrez, Executive Office of Public Safety and Security • Michele Heffernan, Human Resources Division • Barbara Lybarger, Massachusetts Office on Disability • Jeff McCue, Executive Office of Health and Human Services • Valian Norris, Executive Office of Education • Dan Shannon, Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 22

  23. AcknowledgementsTechnical Assistance From Massachusetts Medicaid Infrastructure and Comprehensive Employment Opportunities (MA MI-CEO), under a grant to the Center for Health Policy and Research at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services and the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts-Boston, from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (CFDA #93-768). The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 23

  24. What’s Ahead? Phase II • Training • Additional Resources • Build on what we have begun The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 24

  25. Further Information Sandra Borders, ODEO– 617-878-9812 Stan Eichner, EOHHS – 617-573-1782 Barbara Lybarger, MOD – 617 727-7440 The Commonwealth: Working to be a Model Employer 25

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