45 percent of senior decision-makers at British SMEs* would describe their workplace as ‘difficult’ for disabled people with 18 percent saying disabled people were not supported in their workplace Over 30 percent said disabled access was a key barrier to increasing diversity; 20 percent agreed that SMEs cannot afford to invest in diversity, whilst a similar number agree providing flexible working arrangements can prove costly.
People with physical and mental disabilities still face significant barriers in the workplace, a new Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) survey of senior British SME decision-makers suggests. Nearly half (45 percent) of SME senior decision makers surveyed by YouGov for RICS said disabled people** would find it ‘difficult’ in their workplace and 18 percent felt disabled people were not generally supported in their workplace. 70 percent of the RICS membership in the UK is made up of SME’s.
A lack of appropriate access was viewed as the primary barrier to increasing diversity (31 percent) among SME decision makers, followed by the lack of availability of diverse candidates (19 percent). 1 in 10 also noted the lack of diversity in business role models. While 48 percent agreed with the statement that ‘some industries are not suitable for disabled people’, a third did feel that there were no barriers to increasing diversity in their workplace.
Kevin Millin, founder of ‘Disabled People in Construction’ and Senior QS with Beard Construction, who has been disabled for the last 10 years, commented: “While I’ve been fortunate to work for a supporting and accommodating company, I’m acutely aware of the challenges people with disabilities face in the workplace. Of course, there are the practical challenges but the message that people with disabilities can prosper within the construction and property industry needs to be louder to change attitudes. Small but significant changes must be made if we want to better utilise this largely untapped talent pool.”
Additionally, almost a quarter of respondents (23 percent) said that a pay gap still exists between men and women in SMEs while 20 percent agreed that SMEs cannot afford to invest in diversity, with a similar number (19 percent) including agreeing that providing flexible working arrangements can prove costly.
Lucile Kamar, Equalities Manager, RICS, said: “Having a diverse workforce is vital for future-proofing the property and construction industry. We have to ensure that our profession is relevant and fit for the future and one of the ways to ensure this is to make the workplace as accessible as possible so that we can reach out to and retain a diverse talent pool. The results of this survey show that there is still much work to do in terms of breaking down barriers, altering perceptions, and addressing the lack of support in some workplaces for those with disabilities.”
The YouGov survey results are ahead of RICS’s Diversity and Inclusion Conference, which takes place in London on the 29th June. For further information please see http://www.rics.org/uk/training-events/conferences-seminars/rics-diversity–inclusion-conference/london/
