Assisting the 'Try' in 'Right to Try'

 

One of the positive - if the government don't fumble it, and employers step in to provide the necessary 'assist' - elements of Labour's Welfare Reform announcements on March 18th was the "Right to Try", where claimants, including those on Limited Capacity for Work Related Activity, can engage with employment they feel they may be able to manage alongside disabilities and health challenges, without the risk of losing their welfare support, meaning that, if they can't manage the workload, or an employer feels it is not safe for them to continue, they - in theory - wouldn't be required to start a new claim (which, for those currently on LCWRA, would see them receive substantially less than their existing claim pays, obviously not a desirable outcome for anyone.)

I've been around long enough, and had enough interaction with the UK's abysmal employment landscape, and encountered enough of the toxic, self-important, ableist attitudes of employers, and the also-relatively-unimportantly-employed, to have seen things like this come, fail spectacularly, screw up disabled peoples' lives, and go several times over.

It would be nice if this time were different - but that's going to mean employers will need to set aside their gripes about increased minimum wage and increased employer NI contributions (neither of which are the fault of the unemployed, be they disabled or not), set aside the "costs-of-doing-business" stress (which is no more caused by disabled people than it is any other employee), and fundamentally get the actual f--k OVER their entrenched ableism. And their idea that "wind ups and banter" are a "normal part of the working world."  And their homophobia and transphobia. And their resentment of anyone who has anything they perceive as a "better" life.  And their mockery of anyone whose lifestyle they don't consider desirable for themselves.  And their full-spectrum ageism.

Leaders are going to have to step the f--k UP, and create, embed, and enforce a culture that is inclusive, supportive, welcoming, and flexible.

Now is no longer the time for "being a mate, not a manager."
Now is no longer the time for "just letting the team sort it out among themselves."

Your laziness, your resentment, your intolerance, your fear of other peoples' attitudes towards and opinions about you, has been holding Britain hostage for too long.

Your bare-minimum, your "not-my-problem-pal", your hesitance to "interfere in the team dynamic", your timidity around kicking out toxic colleagues, your playing favourites when it comes to progression, support, and working flexibility, has bankrupted Britain.

It has driven human beings into literal, abject poverty.
It has shattered Britain's potential as a world leader in all aspects of employment and wealth-creation.
It has fundamentally broken the trust on which our system of balanced social capitalism was built over the past 200 years.

It has taken away hope, resources, and support.

It stops. Now. With you.

Over the next couple of weeks, the team at The Productive Pessimist Ltd will be making direct contact with employers, with a view to arranging Discovery Sessions centred around what Right to Try will mean for you as an employer, what challenges you're likely to encounter, what opportunities exist for those employers who engage fully with the concept, and with the individual forms of support disabled and long-term unemployed people will have to ensure they have the greatest chance of succeeding in a new role, and adding value to your business, and the ways your "business as usual" may need to change, to make work and life better for everyone who is, may be, and will be employed by your company.

If you'd like to book that engagement now, our Discovery Sessions last for an initial 90mins, and are available onsite or remotely, and include two further remote sessions, of up to 30mins each; fees for Discovery Sessions are £45.00 if the initial 90mins are conducted remotely, 

and £200 + travel & accommodation expenses (if required) for on-site Discoveries.  All fees, including evidenced expense costs, are payable upfront on booking.

Our Discovery Session Availability Dates Are:
. Monday March 24th
10am, 12.30pm, 3pm (6pm & 8.30pm remote only)

. Tuesday March 25th

(8am remote only), 10.30am, 1pm, 4pm (6.30pm remote only)

. Wednesday March 26th
(8am remote only), 10.30am,  1pm,  4pm (6.30pm remote only)

. Thursday March 27th
10am, 12.30pm,  3pm

. Monday March 31st

8am, 10.30am, 1pm,  4pm (6.30pm remote only)

Email us at theproductivepessimist@yahoo.com to book your Discovery Session, and get ahead of the competition for being the best business for the talent and potential disabled people can offer.

What To Expect:
This is a huge change to the UK's "business as usual", and no one likes change; I know - I was a Transformation and Continuous Service Improvement project manager in a previous life! Change is no one's favourite thing, especially not when it already seems like everything is changing, far too fast, far too often, and perhaps not always entirely for the best.

The good news is, you and the talent you'll be able to engage with, support, and derive mutual benefit from are in the same boat - it's a huge change for welfare claimants too, which means you can be overwhelmed, uncertain, and freaked out as you navigate the change together.

The reason we strongly recommend booking a Discovery Session with us is that disabled people, and the long term unemployed able-bodied, are not the Borg.  They are all individuals, they come from very different backgrounds, they have different skills, attitudes, and limitations.   By engaging in a Discovery Session with you, we can identify not only the kind of people who would thrive in your organisation, but also the low-impact, zero-cost changes you can make that mean a wider talent pool in general sees your business, and thinks "Yeah...I can see them being the right place for me."  This makes your recruitment easier and less costly, your retention more likely (more money saved!), and gives a better overview of the internal players who could meet your progression needs (more recruitment costs avoided, time saved, and a smoother transition through periods of unavoidable leadership change...win-win...)

You're going to have many assumptions about disabled people.
Disabled people who have been excluded from the workplace for a long time will have many assumptions about workplaces, the people in them, and the people who lead them.

You'll all be mostly wrong, but a little bit right.

FAQs:
. I'll be able to pay these people less, because they're getting welfare, right?
No.
Firstly, the National Minimum Wage applies to everyone - you wouldn't ask a regular employee how much their spouse earns, and then suggest that "it doesn't matter too much if I drop the stated salary in your case, then?"
Secondly, the Oxford English Dictionary defines a "job" as "a paid position of regular employment." You are not providing a "job" if you are not paying someone.
Thirdly, we got into the financial mess this country is in, in part because employers - maybe not you, but certainly enough of them to matter - believed it was "the government's problem" to provide people with enough money to afford a modest-decent standard of living. Newsflash: government funds support core living costs in genuine national emergency situations, and when people are systemically blocked from accessing employment, or long-term mismanagement of laissez-faire capitalism has resulted in there being far fewer available jobs than there are members of the working population. (Currently, that gap stands at 761,000, with barely a quarter of the UK's registered private sector businesses actually employing anyone at all, if you were wondering.) Otherwise? The expectation is people earn their ability to meet the genuine and full cost of living, including saving for emergencies and a future point where they are no longer able to work, or no longer wish to, by exchanging their time and effort for money, which is given by the employer who benefits from said time and effort being placed in their service.

. I'm not going to have to shell out for all these "accommodations", am I?
Potentially not, if you engage with The Productive Pessimist - our approach combines both professional leadership experience, and lived experience of disability, so we're uniquely positioned to explore low and zero-cost accessibility improvements you can make immediately, as well as supporting your organisation through a team member's claim for reasonable adjustments, accommodations, and application to Access to Work to fund higher-cost accommodations. (We have team members who have made Access to Work applications whilst in employment, so we can predict and help you mitigate the challenges that can bring to you as an employer.)

But, potentially, depending on the size of your business, and individuals' needs, you may have to pay for accommodations upfront, and claim the costs back from Access to Work.

However, you pay for all your employees to be at work anyway - electric bills, heating costs, providing loo roll, having the toilet cleaned, providing suitable tech, uniforms, travel expenses...being in business is expensive already; this isn't changing that landscape.

. Are they even going to be able to actually do the job I need them to do?
That's why you're engaging with The Productive Pessimist Ltd; we can identify the challenges and opportunities within your business, and create an awareness of the people who, despite disability, will be best suited for the roles you have available, help you create an inclusive environment, physically and culturally, at minimal cost, and access funding for higher cost elements, so that this "new normal" is as smooth a transition as possible.

Disabled people are generally very aware of their limitations, and what is realistically safe and achievable for them; in my case, for example, I'm registered legally blind; I'm not going to expect anyone to make it possible for me to work effectively as a lorry driver or an airline pilot - but there's nothing stopping me being an excellent consultant, I was recognised by colleagues as a good project manager, and, had the support I'm helping businesses create been engaged with by the business I served in that role, I might very well still be doing that, rather than bothering you.

. What if my existing team don't get on with them, or they cause issues with team dynamics?
That's a leadership problem you always risk when you employ anyone. 
People aren't always going to get on with everyone they meet, but, in a workplace, personality clashes and personal "dislikes" should not result in anyone being forced out of a job.  You employ adults; part of your job, as a leader, is to enforce the idea that it's fine to not like someone on a personal level, but that doesn't get near how you treat them and engage with them as a colleague.

The Productive Pessimist can offer ongoing, tailored, instant-response support to help you handle interpersonal and team dynamics issues, with all of your employees.

. I can't handle all of this! I've got too much to do as it is!
You can retain consultancy and instant-response support services from The Productive Pessimist Ltd for just £800 per month (quarterly, six monthly, and annual schedules also available; all billing is 50% upfront, with further payment dates dependent on contract schedule.)

Why not get that in place now? Email us at theproductivepessimist@yahoo.com