The case for disability workforce reporting

Disability workforce reporting has become a topic of debate for employers, academics and policy influencers, particularly during the last few years. Current interest in disability workforce reporting follows increased campaigning activity from disability organisations and coalitions who are calling on the government to introduce mandatory disability reporting in organisations that employ over 250 employees. The CIPD has worked with Business Disability Forum on this report which sets out the case for disability workforce reporting and provides an overview of the current landscape, considering issues like why disability workforce reporting matters now, the scope of reporting and who already collects data and why. It goes on to look at the benefits, challenges and critical success factors to making disability workforce reporting work.

The BDF and the CIPD currently support a voluntary approach to disability workforce reporting and the need for meaningful action in this area that will drive genuine change. Our findings show that we need a considerable step change on the part of most employers to meet any future mandatory requirement on them to report and publish people data on disability.

CIPD data shows that just two-fifths of respondents report that their organisation currently collects some form of workforce disability data or narrative information, and very few publish the information they collect externally.

This report is also supported by our Disability workforce reporting guide, which is aimed at anyone involved in developing and managing disability workforce data for organisations. It takes a nine-step approach to allow organisations to apply what is meaningful to their own context.