Retaining a newly disabled person in employment has a cost benefit of at least 2.5 times an employer's investment, according to the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).
 
A report launched at its Health and Well-being Conference on 6 October outlines the business case for employment retention, showing how it can deliver financial benefits to the economy, employers, and employees alike.
 
The RNIB says that adapting conditions to facilitate a person staying with an organisation allows the employer to retain the employee's accumulated skills, experience and loyalty, and the employee to maintain income and independence. It also avoids the costs of terminating employment, redundancy and long-term sick leave, and potential disability discrimination claims, as well as the expense of recruitment and training of replacement staff.
 
Philip Connolly, RNIB campaigns officer and author of the report, said: “RNIB is calling on employers to support vocational rehabilitation and adopt proactive employment retention policies. Not only will these provide better outcomes for the individual they will also help businesses save money and keep valuable staff."


The RNIB says evidence from the Department for Work and Pensions shows that 92 per cent of people who left work because of their disability or impairment felt they could have stayed in their job had interventions been made, but they were not offered any adaptations, aids, or adjustments.



The RNIB’s employment retention charter can be signed at www.rnib.org.uk/campaigns