Creating Resilient Workplaces: Safe Space Leads to Engaged, Productive Workers

Co-hosted by the:

National Employer Policy, Research and Technical Assistance Center for Employers on the Employment of People with Disabilities

and

Federal Partners’ Committee on Women and Trauma

Welcome

Darren Bates

National Project Director, National Employer Policy, Research, and Technical Assistance Center for Employers on the Employment of People with Disabilities (Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy)

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DARREN BATES

Darren Bates is the National Project Director of the National Employer Policy, Research and

Technical Assistance Center for Employers on the Employment of People with Disabilities (also

known as the Employer TA Center), a project funded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of

Disability Employment Policy under a cooperative agreement with The Viscardi Center.

In this role, he oversees the implementation of research related to disability employment best

practices and the development and delivery of outreach and technical assistance to employers

throughout the country.

National Project Director, National Employer Policy, Research, and Technical Assistance Center for Employers on the Employment of People with Disabilities

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Employer TA Center• Resource for employers seeking to recruit, hire, retain and

advance people with disabilities

• Addresses both public and private sectors

• Funded by ODEP under a cooperative agreement with The Viscardi Center

• Collaborative of partners with different perspectives

• Activities map to ODEP’s priorities, including its role as co-host of the Federal Partners Committee on Women and Trauma

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CAROL BOYER

Carol Boyer has more than 30 years in the academic, Federal, private, and nonprofit sectors with almost 30 years of that

experience in the disability field. At the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy since 2006, she is a

senior policy advisor and chairs of the Women and Trauma Federal Partners’ Committee.

Previous to her work at the Department of Labor, Boyer served with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Disability Rights

Section, the ADA Technical Assistance Coordinator contract with the U.S. Department of Education, RESNA (Rehabilitation

Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America), the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC), the

International Very Special Arts Festival, the U.S. Access Board, the National Organization on Disability, and taught writing at

the University of Maryland.

A native Washingtonian, she is an experienced disability awareness and disability civil rights' laws trainer for Federal, State,

private, and nonprofit organizations. Boyer is a member of Zonta International, a 95-year-old NGO that supports the

economic, education, and health status of women globally and locally.

Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Disability Employment Policy,U.S. Department of Labor, Moderator

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Carol Boyer, Chair, Federal Partners’ Committee on Women and Trauma and Senior Policy Advisor, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy

Overview of ODEP and the Federal Partners’ Committee on Women and Trauma

Office of Disability Employment Policy

• Provides national leadership on disability employment policy by: – Developing and influencing the use of evidence-based disability employment

policies and practices

– Building collaborative partnerships

– Delivering authoritative and credible data on employment of people with disabilities

• Authorized by Congress in DOL’s FY 2001 appropriation– Recognized the need for a national policy to ensure that people with

disabilities are fully integrated into the 21st Century workforce– A sub-cabinet level policy agency in DOL

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• Health and Human Services• Labor• Justice • Homeland Security• Housing and Urban Development • Office of National Drug Control Policy

• Education• Agriculture• Defense• State• Veterans Affairs• Peace Corps

Federal Partners’ Committee on Women and Trauma

• Initiated by SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services in April 2009 based on Executive Order 13263: President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health

• Currently co-chaired by ODEP and SAMHSA, with the following representation:

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Purpose

The Committee’s work is guided by the recognition that the impact of violence and trauma on women and girls is a public health

problem with profound consequences for many different agencies.

Accomplishments

Two reports, two roundtables, Trauma-informed Introductory Training and four webinars!

Fact Sheet www.nasmhpd.org/docs/Women%20and%20Trauma/FedPartnersFactSheetFINAL%20on%2010.15.pdf

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Webinar Learning Objectives

• Data on employers’ costs related to domestic violence and sexual assault issues for both women and men and resources to mitigate them

• Latest research on hypertension-causing factors in the workplace and occupations with the highest levels

• Successful strategies for providing safe, inclusive and welcoming workplace environments for all employees, including veterans and individuals with disabilities

• Resources for Federal, public- and private-sector employers; Federal contractors; HR specialists; workforce development systems; and policymakers

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Housekeeping• Audio is available by voice over IP through your computers or by dialing into our phone line at 415-

655-0045 and using Conference Code 662 715 306#

• Live captioning is available for this event, which you can follow along within the captioning window

at the bottom of screen

• A copy of today’s presentation slides is available for download from AskEARN.org

• Submit questions by posting to the Q&A window or via Twitter by using #AskEARN or via direct

message to @AskEARN

• For technical support during the webinar, please post your issue within the Q&A window or contact

WebEx at 1-866-229-3239

• Immediately following today’s event, you will be asked to complete a survey about your experience

• An archived recording of the webinar will be made available within the next week

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LISALYN JACOBS

Lisalyn R. Jacobs joined Legal Momentum as vice president for government relations in March,

2003. Since joining Legal Momentum, she has testified before congressional committees at both the

state and federal levels.

Lisalyn has also fought for and secured needed protections for poor women and survivors of

violence in a number of key federal laws including two reauthorizations of the Violence Against

Women Act (2005 and 2013), the 2006 reauthorization of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families,

and the 2009 amendments to the Stimulus law.

VP, Government Relations, Legal Momentum & Partner at Workplaces Respond to Domestic and Sexual Violence: A National Resource Center

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MAYA RAGHU

Maya Raghu is a senior attorney with Futures Without Violence in Washington, D.C. Her work primarily focuses on the intersection of the workplace, gender, trafficking and immigration. She is an expert on issues concerning the workplace effects of gender-based

violence and manages a national project on this issue. She develops and conducts trainings and national conference workshops for a wide variety of audiences including attorneys, employers, unions/worker organizations, and civil society organizations; creates public

education materials and training resources; and engages in outreach and legislative and policy advocacy.

Prior to joining Futures Without Violence, Ms. Raghu was a senior staff attorney for six years at Legal Momentum in New York City,where she worked on issues of human rights, gender discrimination and economic security. She represented plaintiffs in employment

and housing discrimination cases, engaged in legislative and policy advocacy, and provided training and public education materials.She was also previously a litigator at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and a law clerk to a federal judge. She received her B.A. from

Trinity University and her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Ms. Raghu is a member of the American Bar Association Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence, and is the author of several published articles.

Attorney at Futures Without Violence & Partner at Workplaces Respond to Domestic and Sexual Violence: A National Resource Center

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RESILIENT WORKPLACES –

ADDRESSING THE IMPACTS

OF DOMESTIC & SEXUAL

VIOLENCE

Presented By

Lisalyn Jacobs

Legal Momentum

ljacobs@legalmomentum.org

Maya Raghu

Futures Without Violence

mraghu@futureswithoutviolence.org

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Workplaces Respond

National Resource Center

Created and funded by Department of Justice, Office on

Violence Against Women

Addresses workplace impact of domestic and sexual violence

and stalking

Audience includes employers, unions/worker organizations and

federal government

Focus on vulnerable/underrepresented workers: retail, hotel,

food service, public sector

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Workplace Impact

Happens at the workplace

Offender may stalk victim at workplace

Offender may engage in threatening, harassing or violent

behavior

Offender may use work resources to perpetrate

Happens somewhere else but affects workplace

Victim absent from work

Victim, perpetrator, co-workers may have performance issues

Victim and perpetrator may have physical and/or mental health

issues

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Main Strategies

National Resource

Center website

Best Practices: Pilot Sites

Training and Technical

Assistance

Outreach/

Awareness

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1919

www.WorkplacesRespond.org

twitter.com/WorkplaceNRC

facebook.com/WorkplacesRespond

Workplace Toolkit

• Poster for the workplace

• Safety Card for

Employees

• Protection Order Guide

For Employees

• Supervisor Training

Video

• Quiz

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Prevalence of Violence

More than 1 in 3 American women and more than 1 in 4

American men have experienced rape, physical violence,

and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.

Nearly 1 in 5 women have been raped in their lifetime while 1 in

71 men have been raped in their lifetime.

1 in 6 women and 1 in 19 men have experienced stalking

victimization at some point during their lifetime.

(CDC, NISVS 2011)

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Violence and Disability

83% of females and 32% of males with developmental disabilities have experienced sexual

assault.

(Young & Nosek,1997)

37.3% of women with disabilities have experienced violent abuse in their lifetime, vs.

20.6% of women without disabilities. 28.5 percent have been threatened with violence,

compared with 15.4 percent of those without disabilities.

(CDC, Women with Disabilities)

Women with physical disabilities reported emotional, physical, or sexual abuse in their

lifetimes as frequently as women without disabilities (62%). About half of the women in

each group (52%) reported experiencing physical or sexual abuse. 13% of women with

physical disabilities describe experiencing physical or sexual abuse in the past year.

(Violence Against Women with Disabilities--Fact Sheet

#1: Findings from Studies 1992-2002)

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Domestic and Sexual Violence

in the Workplace

Nearly 33% of women killed in U.S. workplaces between

2003-2008 were killed by a current or former intimate

partner.

(NIOSH, 2012)

The annual cost of lost productivity due to domestic

violence is $727.8 million (in 1995 dollars). (CDC, 2003)

Victims of intimate partner violence lose 8 million days of

work each year.

The equivalent of 32,000 full-time jobs

Over 5.5 million days of household productivity.

(CDC, 2003)23

Domestic and Sexual Violence

in the Workplace

36% of rape/sexual assault victims lost more than 10 days of

work after their victimization. (BJS, 2001)

Of 79% of stalking victims who had a job, one in eight lost time

from work. More than half the victims surveyed lost five or more

days from work.

(BJS, 2009)

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Perpetrators and the Workplace

Performance:

80% of perpetrators said their own job performance was negatively

affected by their perpetration of domestic violence.

19% caused or almost caused an accident at work.

In many cases supervisors were aware of the perpetrator’s behavior

but failed to confront or admonish the employee about it.

(Schmidt & Barnett, 2012)

Missed Work:

Between 42% and 51.8% of perpetrators of domestic violence were

either late or missed work entirely because of their abusive behavior.

Use of Company Resources:

More than three-quarters of perpetrators used workplace resources

at least once to express remorse or anger, check up on, pressure, or

threaten the victim.

(Lim, et al, 2004) 25

Impact on Victims’ Employment

Absences

legal proceedings

obtaining medical care or psychological

counseling

safety planning

relocation

Unscheduled or unexplained

absences

Chronic tardiness

Safety

Changes in work performance

On the job harassment and

violence

Unexplained bruises or injuries

Employment resignation

Employment termination

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Employee’s Concerns

Safety

Confidentiality

Job retention

Work performance

Employer assistance

Time off or other changes

Safety measures

Reputation/appearance

Financial and economic security

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Employer Priorities

Safety and trauma – survivors, co-workers, bystanders

Potential liability – especially if employee is perpetrator

Costs (lost time, absenteeism, productivity, medical,

accommodations) – victims, perpetrators, co-workers

Employee retention

Reputation

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Workplace Policies

Collective bargaining agreement

Sexual harassment policy

Workplace violence policy

Domestic violence policy

Stalking policy

Use of sick/vacation time, leaves of absence

Disciplinary action

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Nondiscrimination

Protection from firing, or refusal to hire someone just because

they are a survivor

DV, SA, stalking

Actual or perceived

Employer size

Acts of abuser

Proof requirements

Sexual harassment

Federal, state, local laws

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Accommodations and Leave

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Accommodationslaws

Survivor-specific leave

laws (including sick/safe

days)

Crime victim leave laws

Family and Medical Leave

Act

What does “reasonable accommodation” mean?

Changing telephone extensions

Changing hours or shift

Transfer

Changing work location or entry/exit points

Time off

Security escort

Structural modifications

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Unemployment Insurance

Leaving work was necessary to protect themselves or family

from domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking

40+ states by statute or practice

Some states include only domestic violence

Others domestic violence and stalking

Some domestic and sexual violence and stalking

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OSHA General Duty Clause

Policies (not mandates) that suggest ways to prevent

workplace violence

Some policies are directed more towards stranger crimes like

robbery

These do not adequately deal with the dynamics of domestic

violence, sexual violence and stalking.

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Relevant Federal Laws

Title VII: employment discrimination (sex, race, etc) (15+ employees)

Americans With Disabilities Act: employment discrimination based on

disability (15+ employees)

Family and Medical Leave Act: unpaid job-protected leave for medical

condition

50+ employees

Time worked requirement (12 months/1250 hrs)

Title IX: discrimination in education (including sexual harassment and

sexual violence)

Occupational Safety and Health Act: general duty clause

U visas

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Federal Policy re: Workplace Violence

In April of 2012, President Obama directed all federal agencies to create policies to address the workplace needs of employees who were survivors of domestic/sexual violence.

White House - http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/04/18/we-cant-wait-president-signs-memorandum-establishing-policies-addressing

http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/worklife/reference-materials/responding-to-domestic-violence-where-federal-employees-can-find-help/#url=Introduction

Department of Commerce -http://hr.commerce.gov/s/groups/public/@doc/@cfoasa/@ohrm/documents/content/prod01_010324.pdf

Department of Justice -http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/ovw/legacy/2013/12/19/federal-workplacee-responses-to-domesticviolence-sexualassault-stalking.pdf

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Relevant State/Local Laws

American Bar Association Commission on Domestic and Sexual

Violence (state laws on civil protection orders):

http://www.americanbar.org/groups/domestic_violence/resources/statu

tory_summary_charts.html

Stalking Resource Center (stalking laws):

http://www.victimsofcrime.org/our-programs/stalking-resource-

center/stalking-laws

Legal Momentum (state law guides): www.legalmomentum.org/what-

we-do/violence/victims-of-violence-employment/state-law-guides

WomensLaw (domestic violence and sexual assault laws):

http://www.womenslaw.org/

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POLLING QUESTION #1

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TONI ALTERMAN, PHD

Toni Alterman, PhD, has more than 22 years of experience as a Senior Epidemiologist at the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institute for Occupational Safety and

Health (NIOSH).

She has a doctorate in psychology and a master’s degree in epidemiology. As a social

epidemiologist she has studied associations between work organization and psychosocial factors

with poor physical and mental health (e.g. depression, heart disease) with an emphasis on gender,

race, and ethnic differences.

PhD, Senior Research Epidemiologist, National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health, Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations & Field Studies, Surveillance Branch

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Hypertension, Occupation, and Workplace Psychosocial Factors: Latest Research

Findings in a National Sample of U.S. Workers

Toni Alterman, PhD – Senior Epidemiologist

Contributors:

Jia Li, MS

Sara Luckhaupt, MD, MPH

Harpriya Kaur, MPH

Acknowledge: Geoffrey Calvert, MD, MPH

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Background/Importance

• Nearly 67 million people in US have hypertension (high blood pressure)

• Systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg or

• Diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg or

• On hypertensive medication

• Hypertension major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke, leading cause of death in US

• Direct and indirect costs estimated $93.5 billion per year

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Factors Associated with Hypertension

Personal

• Demographic factors (e.g. age, race/ethnicity, gender)

• Socioeconomic factors (e.g. education, income)

• Health behaviors (e.g. smoking, physical activity, diet)

Work-related

• Self-reported job stress

• Job characteristics – demands and control

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Goal

• Describe the findings of recent research using national survey data on workplace factors associated with hypertension

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Data Source –2010 National Health Interview Survey*

• Annual in-person household interview conducted by National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)

• Excludes people in nursing homes, correctional facilities, active duty armed forces personnel)

*60.8% response rate

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Definition of Hypertension

• Hypertension: Have you ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that you had hypertension, also called high blood pressure?

• Were you told on two or more different visits that you had hypertension, also called high blood pressure?

• Hypertension defined as answering yes to both questions

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Personal Risk Factors Included in Study

• Age,

• Race/ethnicity,

• Body mass index (BMI),

• Smoking, education,

• Health insurance coverage,

• Physical inactivity

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Workplace Psychosocial Survey Questions

• Please tell me whether you strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with each of these statements..

1. I am/was worried about becoming unemployed (agree or strongly agree – job insecurity)

2. It is/was easy for me to combine work with family responsibilities (disagree or strongly disagree – work-family imbalance)

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Workplace Psychosocial Survey Questions (cont.)

• Yes/No response

• Hostile work environment/bullying – during the past 12 months were you threatened, bullied, or harassed by anyone while you were on the job (yes)?

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Study Definition of Long Work Hours

• >40 hours/week on average

• Includes all jobs for those with multiple jobs

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Statistical Analyses

• SAS Computerized Statistical Package

• Estimates weighted using NHIS sample adult weights to represent U.S. population

• Logistic regression analyses (models)

• Hypertension – dependent variable

• Independent variables – health behaviors, demographic characteristics, health insurance coverage, workplace psychosocial factors, occupational group

• Additional analyses – psychological distress

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Occupational Group Differences for Women

• 23 occupational groups available in public use dataset

• Compared an individual occupation to all other occupations combined to see which had higher or lower proportion of hypertension

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Results

• Total number of workers surveyed:

• 9,013 Women

• 8,481 Men

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Results: Proportion (%) of Workers with Hypertension

• By Gender

• Women: 18.6%

• Men: 20.1%

• By Race/ethnicity (women only)

• Non-Hispanic Black: 28.3%

• Hispanic: 13.3%

• Non-Hispanic White: 18.1%

• Non-Hispanic Other: 15.2%

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Proportion of Women Having Hypertension by Occupational Category

• Occupations with lowest proportion:

• Life, physical, and social sciences 7.9%

• [e.g. scientists, geographers, psychologists, select technicians]

• Legal 8.8%

• Occupations with highest proportion

• Construction and extraction 29%

• Protective service 27.6%

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Proportion of Women Having Hypertension by Occupational Category (cont.)

• Traditionally female dominated occupations:

• Healthcare support 23.6%

• Personal care and service 17.4%

• Community and social service 20.2%

• Education training and library 17.3%

• Other occupations:

• Healthcare practitioners and technical 17.3%

• Food preparation and serving 15.5%

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Four Workplace Factors and Risk of Hypertension among Women *

• Significantly increased risk:

• Job insecurity 13%

• Hostile work environment/bullying 7%

• Not significant:

• Working long hours

• Difficulty balancing work and family responsibilities (borderline)

*Took into account age, race, BMI, physical inactivity, smoking, and health insurance coverage

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Statistically Significant Results for Women by Occupation*

• Increased Risk

• Health care support - 26%

• Decreased Risk

• Legal – 44%

*Ratios compared to all other occupations after adjustment for age, race, BMI, physical inactivity, smoking, health insurance coverage, job insecurity and hostile work environment

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Healthcare Support Occupations - Higher Risk for Hypertension for Women*

• Nursing, psychiatric, home health aides,

• Nursing assistants

• Occupational and physical therapy assistants, aides

• Dental and medical assistants, medical transcriptionists,

• Phlebotomists, nursing assistants orderlies, pharmacy aides

*Excludes healthcare practitioners and technical occupations [physicians, dentists, dieticians, optometrists, pharmacist, registered nurses] – n.s.

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Additional Considerations

• What role does serious psychological distress play in hypertension risk for women workers?

• K-6 scale in NHIS survey has been used to screen persons with mental health problems severe enough to cause moderate to serious impairment that requires treatment.

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Measurement of Serious Psychological Distress During Previous Month (K-6)

• How often in the past month did you feel:

1. nervous,

2. hopeless,

3. restless,

4. sad or depressed,

5. tired out for no good reason, and

6. worthless.

• Responses: 0=none of the time, to 4=all of the time

• Score ranges from 0-24;

• Score of 13 or more considered serious

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Proportion of Workers Having Serious Psychological Distress by Gender and Race/Ethnicity

• Women 3.6%

• Men 2.5%

• Race/ethnicity for women

• Non-Hispanic Black 5.2%

• Hispanic 4.3%

• Non-Hispanic White 3.2%

• Non-Hispanic Other 2.9%

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Examples: Proportion of Psychological Distress by Occupation for Women

• Healthcare support 7.1%

• Healthcare practitioners and technical(unsteady estimate but approx.) 1.4%

• Food preparation and serving 7.6%

• Personal care and service 3.5%

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Psychological Distress as Mediator

• Add psychological distress to previous models for hypertension it becomes…

• More important than job insecurity

• More important than hostile work environment or bullying

• Women workers with psychological distress have a 60% increased risk of hypertension after controlling for hypertension risk factors

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Hostile Work Environment/Bullying and Psychological Distress among Women*

• Among those exposed to hostile work environment/bullying:

• 11.1% have psychological distress

• Among those not exposed to hostile work environment/bullying

• 2.8% have psychological distress

*From other analyses – having hostile work environment/bullied had almost a 3-fold increased risk of psychological distress

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Healthcare Support Occupations - Additional Risk Factors to Consider

• Shift work

• Time pressure

• Hierarchical structure of organizations

• Patient/family contact

• Low social support

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Mitigate/Reduce Risk of Hypertension and Psychological Distress (Examples)

• Organizational policies - flexi-place, flexi-time, flexi-task, job sharing

• Increase social support – supervisor training, management awareness

• Health Promotion/Education – healthy lifestyle, diet, physical activity

• Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) – psychological, legal, financial

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Related Publications

• Workplace psychosocial factors associated with hypertension in the U.S. workforce: A cross-sectional study based on the 2010 National Health Interview Survey. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 57:1011–1021, 2014.

• Job insecurity, work-family imbalance, and hostile work environment: Prevalence data from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 56(6):660-9, 2013.

• Prevalence rates of work organization characteristics among workers in the U.S: Data from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 56(6):647-59, 2013.

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Disclaimer and Contact Information

• The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, nor the National Center for Health Statistics.

• NHIS public use dataset at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/nhis_2010_data_release.htm

• Contact information:• Email: talterman@cdc.gov

• Phone: 513.841.4210

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POLLING QUESTION #2

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ANN HIRSH

Anne Hirsh has been with JAN since 1986. In the fall of 2007 Anne became a JAN Co-Director.

Anne has a Master’s of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling and Vocational Evaluation from West Virginia

University. In 2006 she received WVU College of Human Resource and Education Laddie R. Bell Distinguished

Service Award for her national, regional, and local service to people with disabilities. Through the years she has

worked with all JAN teams.

She currently serves as a "floater" filling in where needed. Additionally, Anne presents on accommodation and

employment issues for national, regional, and local audiences. Anne's research interests include effective

approaches in accommodation, educating both employers and individuals on successful means of

communicating accommodation needs, and accommodations of individuals with hearing loss and individuals

with psychiatric impairments.

Co-Director, Job Accommodation Network

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JAN is a service of the U.S. Department of Labor’s

Office of Disability Employment Policy.

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Job Accommodation Network: Workplace Accommodation Options

Anne Hirsh, JAN Co-Director

January 27, 2015

Tools to Accommodate

Overview

Job Accommodation

Americans with Disabilities Act / Rehabilitation Act

JAN Customers

Employers

Individuals

Service Providers

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Tools to Accommodate

Overview

Over 30 Years of Service

Experienced

Free

National

Easy to Use

Confidential

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Ask JAN and we… Meet you where you are.

Help meet deadlines.

Assist with the interactive process.

Give targeted technical assistance.

Provide comprehensive & localized resources.

Maintain confidentiality.

Work as your partner in improving the employment

of people with disabilities.

Tools to Accommodate

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Costs and Benefits

Workplace Accommodations: Low Cost, High Impact

http://askjan.org/media/lowcosthighimpact.html

Tools to Accommodate

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Finding #1: Most employers report no

cost or low cost for accommodating

employees with disabilities.

Results

Over half of accommodations (57%) were made at no

cost.

Of the 36% who experienced a one-time cost to make

an accommodation, the typical cost of

accommodating an employee was $500.

Tools to Accommodate

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Finding #2: Employers report accommodations are effective.

Results

Of those responding, 73% reported the

accommodations were either very effective or

extremely effective.

Tools to Accommodate

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JAN Study and Accommodations for Women - Survey of Individuals

Minor differences between men and women

Type of accommodation requested

Whether or not accommodation granted

Costs of accommodation requested

Education level and length of time on job

Women were significantly less likely than men to find

accommodation effective

Both men and women offered same response as to why

accommodation not granted

July 2014 Disability Studies Quarterly “Employment Accommodations

for People with Disabilities: Does Gender Really Matter?”

Tools to Accommodate

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OPTIONS:

Job Accommodations for Employees with Mental Health

Impairments

Tools to Accommodate

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Memory Deficits Provide written and verbal instruction

Use calendar, daily, or weekly task lists or electronic organizers

Recorded messages or verbal prompts and reminders

Provide mentor

Allow additional training time for new duties

Provide cues to assist in location – labels, color coding, bulleting board

Maintaining Concentration Increase natural lighting or provide full spectrum lighting

Reduce clutter/distractions in the workspace

Restructure job to include only essential functions

Provide space enclosures or a private space

Provide a noise cancelling headset

Divide large assignments into smaller goal oriented tasks or steps

Plan for uninterrupted work time

Tools to Accommodate

80

Time Management/Completing Tasks Make daily TO-DO lists and check items off as completed

Divide large assignments into smaller tasks and steps

Schedule weekly meetings with supervisor or mentor to determine

if goals are being met

Remind employee of important deadlines via e-mail or memo

Provide and train on use of organizational tools such as electronic

schedulers, pace setters, memo recorders, software organizers,

calendars

Sleep Disturbances Allow for flexible start time

Combine regularly scheduled short breaks into one longer break

Provide a place to rest during break at work

Allow for one consistent schedule as opposed to shift work

Tools to Accommodate

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Coping with Stress/Dealing with Emotions Allow longer or more frequent work breaks

Allow presence of a support animal

Assign mentor or supervisor to answer questions as needed

Additional time to learn new responsibilities

Remove marginal functions during times of stress

Allow for time off for phone calls, counseling, use of EAP

Provide adequate back-up coverage as needed

Identify and remove environmental triggers such as particular

smells or noise

Working Effectively with Others Encourage break time from frustrating situations

Allow work from home or telework as appropriate

Provide partitions or closed doors to allow for privacy

Provide disability awareness training to all

Tools to Accommodate

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Example

A secretary with PTSD, who had been carjacked several years earlier,

experienced significant anxiety during commutes after dark. This caused

difficulty concentrating and irritability.

Tools to Accommodate

83

Accommodation

She was accommodated with the ability to have a support animal at work

and a flexible schedule with work from home during periods of minimal

sunlight.

Tools to Accommodate

84

Example

A retired Army medic had difficulty managing stress in the workplace due to

her PTSD. Her stress intolerance was intensified when she heard the

emergency medical helicopter arrive and depart from the hospital where she

worked as a nurse.

Tools to Accommodate

85

Accommodation

The nurse was reassigned to a

vacant position on a unit that

was far from the heli-pad so

she rarely heard the helicopter.

During times when the

helicopter staff would practice

maneuvers in her area she

was allowed to work a

flexible schedule.

Tools to Accommodate

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Example

An individual is working at a museum that was undergoing

renovations. Interacting with construction workers who were

strangers caused the employee extreme anxiety. As a result the

individual was either not coming in or leaving early.

Tools to Accommodate

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ACCOMMODATION:

The employer temporarily relocated the individuals work station away from

the construction. They also created ID badges for the construction workers

and required them to sign in and out at a central location.

Tools to Accommodate

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EEOC Enforcement Guidance on Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) – July 2014

The PDA requires that a covered employer treat women affected

by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions in the

same manner as other applicants or employees who are similar

in their ability or inability to work.

It is unlawful to harass a woman because of pregnancy,

childbirth, or a related medical condition. Harassment is illegal

when it is so frequent or severe that it creates a hostile or

offensive environment, or when it results in an adverse

employment decision (such as the victim being fired or

demoted).

http://askjan.org/media/preg.htm

Tools to Accommodate

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Tools to Accommodate

Contact

(800)526-7234 (V) & (877)781-9403 (TTY)

AskJAN.org & jan@askjan.org

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TIM GREEN

Tim Green has been serving as the Director of Strategic Outreach of the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS)

at the Department of Labor since October 2012. As the Director, he sets and guides the strategy for VETS’ outreach to

stakeholders, public affairs and legislative affairs.

Mr. Green retired from the U.S. Air Force in June 2012 with a rank of Colonel after serving on active duty for nearly 28 years.

His career included various flying assignments, two command tours, and three staff tours, with his final assignment on the Air

Staff at the pentagon. During his career, he had numerous deployments including support to combat operations in Bosnia,

Iraq, and Afghanistan. During one of his tours in Iraq, Colonel Green served as the Director of the Media Operations Center

where he was responsible for all media operations and public affairs in theater.

Mr. Green holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Business Administration and a master’s degree in National Security

Strategy from the National War College.

Director, Office of Strategic Outreach, Veterans' Employment and Training Service, U.S. Department of Labor

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Employer Perspective on Ways to Create a Welcoming & Safe

Workplace Environment

Tim GreenDirector, Office of Strategic Outreach

Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS)

Department of Labor

Preparing Veterans for Better Jobs 92

VETS Mission

We provide our veterans with the critical resources, expertise, and training to assist them in locating and obtaining meaningful careers

We protect the employment rights of the men and women who serve this Nation

We prepare our separating service members to transition from the military to the civilian workforce

We promote the hiring of veterans through outreach to and partnership with employers

Employers

Veterans

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Perspective on VeteranWorkplace Environment

Inhibiting Factors

– Risk of being treated/viewed differently

– Limited opportunities

– Supervisor support lacking

Facilitating Factors

– Supportive work environment

– Use common sense

– Communication key

Supportive Workplaces

– Positive work climate

– Recruitment of workers with disabilities

– Build trust with supervisors94

Perspective on VeteranWorkplace Environment

Create an Environment that Encourages Disclosure– Diversity training

– Partner with local agencies

– Set the example

Examples within DOL VETS– Minor accommodation

– PTSD example

Programs– Women Veterans Program

– Advisory Committee

Resources– America’s Heroes at Work www.americasheroesatwork.gov

– National Resource Directory www.nrd.gov

– American Job Centers www.servicelocator.org95

KIMBERLY KONKEL

As Associate Director for the Center for Faith-based and Community Organizations, Kimberly T. Konkel works to marry the intelligence of science with the wisdom of

communities. This work has taken Kimberly across the country and all over the world. She regularly visits faith-based and community-based health clinics and social

service organizations in cities throughout the US. She is helping faith-based organizations prepare for pandemic flu, improve gender norms, and increase access to

health care. She currently focused on addressing the co-occurring epidemics of suicide, violence, untreated mental illness and addiction.

To that end she leads a Community of Practice for Trauma Informed/Responsive Congregations. The Community is working to make America the first ‘Trauma

Informed Nation’ where communities support healing and prevent trauma. Kimberly is also leading the development of a Health Ministers Guide series that brings

the latest science to communities focusing on prevention.

Kimberly began her work in the US government as a Presidential Management Fellow at the Department of Justice. She built the Haiti Health Facilities Working

Group after the Haiti earthquake, has helped faith-based organizations prepare for pandemic flu, worked throughout India and Southern Africa to improve gender

norms, and increase access to health care and works to improve the organizational capacity of community and faith-based organizations as part of the President’s

Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean.

Before joining Federal service she worked with mentally and physically handicapped children in rural India, as a counselor and therapist with Utah Youth Corrections,

for the LDS Charities humanitarian mission in Zimbabwe, on maternal and child health in Mozambique, and as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-

day Saints in Southern Louisiana, where she came face to face with poverty in America.

Kimberly T. Konkel has a bachelor’s degree in Zoology and Psychology, and a master’s degree in Social Work from Brigham Young University.

Associate Director, Center for Faith-based & Neighborhood Partnerships, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

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Questions?

97

For More InformationFederal Partners’ Committee:

• Carol Boyer, ODEP/DOL boyer.carol@dol.gov

• Mary Blake, SAMHSA/CMHS, mary.blake@samhsa.hhs.gov

• Shawndell Dawson, FVPSP, ACF shawndell.dawson@acf.hhs.gov

Employer TA Center:

• Darren Bates dbates@viscardicenter.org

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• Employer Assistance & Resource Network (EARN) askearn.org

• Job Accommodation Network (JAN) askjan.org

• JAN Accommodation & Compliance Series:

• Employees with PTSD askjan.org/media/ptsd.html

• Employees with Mental Health Impairments askjan.org/media/Psychiatric.html

• Workplace Accommodations: Low Cost, High Impact askjan.org/media/lowcosthighimpact.html

• Employees’ Practical Guide to Negotiating & Requesting Reasonable Accommodations Under the ADA askjan.org/Eeguide/index.htm

• Employers’ Practical Guide to Reasonable Accommodations Under the ADA askjan.org/Erguide/index.htm

Resources

99

• Workplaces Respond to Domestic & Sexual Violence: A National Resource Center workplacesrespond.org

• Women’s Legal Defense and Education Fund: Victim Workplace Rights legalmomentum.org/employment-and-victims-violence

• Guidance for Agency-Specific Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Policies opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/worklife/reference-materials/guidance-for-agency-specific-dvsas-policies.pdf

• Federal Agency Employment Strategies—A Framework for Disability Inclusion dol.gov/odep/pdf/FAEStrategies.pdf

• eFedLink eFedLink.org

• Employer Engagement Strategy: Workforce Inclusion dol.gov/odep/pdf/20140604BusinessCaseEngagementWhitePaper.pdf

Resources

100

• Business Strategies that Work: A Framework for Disability Inclusion dol.gov/odep/pdf/BusinessStrategiesThatWork.pdf

• Leading Practices on Disability Inclusion usbln.org/leading_practices_on_disability_inclusion.html

• Workplace Flexibility Toolkit dol.gov/odep/workplaceflexibility

• 2014 National Employer Study: Including the Talents of Employees with Disabilities familiesandwork.org/downloads/nse-14-disabilities.pdf

• States as Model Employers of People with Disabilities: A Comprehensive Review of Policies, Practices, and Strategies askearn.org/docs/StateModel.pdf

• America’s Heroes at Work dol.gov/vets/ahaw

• Workforce Recruitment Program dol.gov/odep/wrp

• Campaign for Disability Employment whatcanyoudocampaign.org

Resources

101

• Federal Partners’ Committee on Women and Trauma Fact Sheet nasmhpd.org/docs/Women%20and%20Trauma/FedPartnersFactSheetFINAL%20on%2010.15.pdf

• ADA ada.gov/2010_regs.htm

• Rehabilitation Act, Section 503 dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/section503.htm

• Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/vevraa.htm

• Pregnancy Discrimination Act eeoc.gov/laws/statutes/pregnancy.cfm

Resources

102

• Carol Boyer, ODEP dol.gov/odep

• Mikki Holmes, OSHA dol.gov/osha

• Nancy Glowacki, VETS dol.gov/vets

• Tonya Thompson, WB dol.gov/wb

Webinar Planning Committee—U.S. Department of Labor

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Thank You!

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