Maine's CHOICES CEO Project
Priority #1: Employer Outreach and Education
Governor Baldacci and Maine State Government join the Working Together business-to-business network on October 15, 2007. Image by Susan Gatti Photography.
INTERESTING TIDBITS:
The National Association of Manufacturers forecasts a deficit of 5.3 million workers in the U.S. by 2010 and 14 million by 2020. Maine's workforce will be particularly affected. The number of Maine residents 55-years-and-older is expected to increase 31 percent by 2015, while the 16-to-55 population is projected to decline almost five percent.[1]
James T. Brett and William E. Kiernan, of the New England Council and the Institute for Community Inclusion, report that with these troubling population shifts and the advances in assistive technology, people with disabilities are an "untapped resource of potential workers."[2]
Our 2005 survey of Maine employers found that 12 percent employ at least one worker with a disability.
Employers told of frustrating experiences with social service placement agencies that did not react quickly enough to business needs.
Employers had concerns about liability exposure, workers' compensation, and their managerial powers in relation to the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Fifty-four percent of surveyed employers reported that people with disabilities could not do the work required.
With the right information on accommodations technology, legal issues, liability risk, and with better placement agency communications, employers will be more likely to hire people with disabilities.
We believe that employers know best about what information is needed and the best ways to communicate this information.
Next Steps
- Continue to recruit employers to join Maine's Working Together business-to-business information network.
- Continue to promote and provide support for Maine's plan for a public-private employer outreach effort, as described in Legislative Report: Media/Outreach Campaign Strategies for Employment of Individuals with Disabilities in Maine (PDF)
- Gather new materials for an Employer Resource Library. Do you have materials or web sites to suggest? Tell us about them.
Goals
- Businesses will exchange resources and information with one other about employing workers with disabilities.
- Large and small employers and service providers will be involved in the creation of promotional materials.
- A centralized source of information, including a dedicated web site and multiple print materials, will be made available to employers.
- A statewide business-led promotional and networking group will be created.
What Other States Are Doing
Massachusetts
A web site for Massachusetts employers interested in hiring workers with disabilities has been developed. Visit: www.ForEmployers.com. The site was developed by the Massachusetts Medicaid Infrastructure Grant project, which is similar to Maine's CHOICES CEO project. The project has also written "Creating Effective Business Partnerships: What Businesses Want Human Service Agencies to Know".
Alaska
The Alaska Works Initiative has created an employer resource page with tools to help employers hire and provide accommodations for employees with disabilities.
Notes
- "Employer Practices and Attitudes," November 2005, Planning Decisions Inc.
- "The Worker in N.E.'s Future," New York Times, James T. Brett and William E. Kiernan, November 15, 2004.
Recent News
- The Working Together: Expanding Maine's Workforce business-to-business information network in Maine held it's Annual Conference entitiled "Capitalizing on Maine's Changing Demographics" on November 4, 2009. Click here for a news report on the conference, which includes an audio of the radio report.
- A photojournal of the first two Annual Working Together conferences can be seen by clicking on the year: 2007, 2008.
- Over 43 Maine businesses have joined the Working Together business-to-business information network by signing the pledge. Has your company joined?
- The Working Together business network is using social networking tools to engage with Maine businesses. Connect with them on FaceBook, LinkedIn, or Twitter.
- Business Survey Results The CHOICES CEO project purchased four questions on disability and employment issues as part of the larger Minding Maine's Business Survey, conducted in January 2009.
- The State of Maine, the largest employer in the state, joined the Working Together network by signing the Working Together pledge. Short video clips of the Governor expressing his strong support for the Working Together network is available here.
- Short videos of Maine Employers discussing the advantages of hiring persons with a disability can be seen here.
Spotlight
Alan DuPlessis, Four Seasons Restaurant, Jackman, Maine
For the past 11 years, Alan DuPlessis has owned the Four Seasons Restaurant at 417 Main Street in Jackman. A staff of 20 provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with meals for private functions and off-site catering services. For the past several years, Alan has employed youth with disabilities.. Read more about Four Seasons Restaurant.
This Spotlight is one in a series that features Maine businesses and workers. Visit our Spotlight on Employers Archive to read others.
Quick Facts
Some Facts About Hiring Workers With Disabilities
- Ninety percent of workers with disabilities are rated "average" or "above average" for performance in a 35-year-long study by the Dupont Corporation.
- Only one-in-four employees with disabilities need accommodations. In instances where accommodations are required, half cost less than $500 and 19 percent cost nothing at all.
- Workers' compensation insurance rates are based only on a business' accident history, not whether employees have disabilities.
The Employer Resource Library
The CHOICES CEO project and its various partners have collected and organized some helpful resource materials.
Visit the Employer Resource Library.
We Need You!
Are you an employer who employs workers with disabilities? We'd love to include your story on this site. Or, do you have questions that you would like to have answered? Please contact Leslie Pohl for more information.
