Ministers have missed chance to help disabled workers, says TUC

  • 28 Jul 2021

The government has failed to act on the disability pay gap and rights on reasonable adjustments.

Responding to the government’s disability strategy, Frances O’Grady, TUC general secretary, said:

“Everyone should have an equal chance to earn a living and pursue a career. But disabled people still face huge barriers at work. And the government has once again missed the chance to act. Disabled people are far less likely to be in paid employment – and when they are, they are hit by a 20 per cent pay gap, which is growing year-on-year. The way to end this is to make employers report on their disability pay gaps – but ministers have failed to support this in the disability strategy.

“Disabled workers have a legal right to the reasonable adjustments they need – but two-fifths of disabled workers aren’t getting them. Ministers should have taken the opportunity to strengthen the duty on employers to provide reasonable adjustments.  And ministers should get on with their long-promised plans to make flexible working the default by giving all workers a day one right to work flexibly. This could be transformative for disabled workers.”

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