Manitoba Business
Introducing Manitoba’s Accessibility Standard for Employment It’s good business to employ Manitobans with disabilities.
O
n May 1, 2019, the Manitoba government enacted a second standard under The Accessibility for Manitobans Act targeting employment (following the 2015 Accessibility Standard for Customer Service). The goal is to remove barriers that affect current and potential members of Manitoba's labour force by helping Manitoba employers hire, support and keep employees. The standard addresses all aspects of the employment relationship including recruitment, hiring, on-the-job, and return-to-work. The principle of reasonable accommodation is a key concept under The Human Rights Code (Manitoba) and the new Accessibility Standard for Employment. A workplace accommodation is reasonable if it is required for an employee to carry out workplace responsibilities or to access benefits available to employees. Most accommodations offer an adjustment to how things are usually done at little or no expense. The employer and employee share the responsibility to find the right solution, without affecting safety of staff or other “undue hardship”. Reasonable accommodation levels the playing field for all employees. The provincial government is required to meet the employment standard by May 2020, and public sector organizations must comply one year later. All business, notfor-profit and small municipality employers must comply with most areas of the standard in three years time, by May 2022. However, safety comes first. Effective May 1, 2020, all Manitoba businesses and organizations with at least one employee must ensure the safety of their employees in two ways:
18 • Spring 2020
• Workplace Emergency Response Information: Create individualized emergency response information to help employees with disabilities stay safe during emergencies, and • Workplace Emergency Assistance: Ask employees who require assistance during an emergency for permission to share information with individuals who agree to help Remember to enquire, rather than assume, who needs help during an emergency. For instance, a staff person may be unable to rush down stairs due to a heart condition that on a normal workday is unnoticeable. Why introduce a law to remove barriers to employment? Because Manitoba employers want the best employee for the job, and because Manitobans with disabilities want to work. Employment plays a significant role in a person’s finanThe Hub
