DDA
To help advisers keep up-to-date with changes to the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), UnumProvident has produced a free guide.
The changes to legislation, due in October this year, will require employers of all sizes to ensure their employment practices do not discriminate. The previous law encompassed large companies, but the new rules will encompass SMEs as well.
Employers will be required to make reasonable adjustments to work premises to make sure they are accessible to both customers and employees who have disabilities. The new Act also includes rules on recruitment, training, development and dismissal of staff.
"As experts in helping people back to work, we are offering this guide to assist advisers in interpreting the changes to the Act and their implications. Not only is this advice relevant to their clients' businesses but also to their own businesses, for in most cases they too will be SMEs," said Joanne Hindle, corporate services director at UnumProvident. According to UnumProvident, a recent survey of small businesses revealed more than two-thirds of firms were unaware of the forthcoming changes to the DDA.
"Any employers who don't adhere to the common-sense guidelines set out by the Act could find themselves faced with hefty financial penalties, bad press and low staff morale," warned Hindle.
nA free PDF version of the guide is available at www.unumprovid ent.co.uk. For a hard copy, email john.hutson@unumprovident. co.uk
