Developing disability Management in the Workplace Project no LLP-LdV-TOI-2007-TR-039 Start: End: INCREASING EMPLOYABILITY OF DISABLED PEOPLE (INEMDIP) M. Živitere un A.L.Živitere Information Systems Management Institute Department of Economics Ludzas 91, LV-1003, Riga, Latvia,

2009.gada 14. aprīlīINEMDIP2 ABSTRACT Author looks at how abilities to work of persons with sickness and disability can be matched with opportunities of increasing the employment rate. It attempts to discover the factors which lead this person from the labor market, or remain outside of it with an aim and objective to increase the employment rate of these persons. With in this context, the paper analyses the disability management in the workplace and opportunities from employers’ side and identify the areas of improvements in further.

2009.gada 14. aprīlīINEMDIP3 Definitions of Keywords Disability can be defined as a self-assessed status or else as legal status based on administrative sources, e.g. benefit receipt. Estimating the extent of disability is not straightforward. Increasing inflow rates to disability benefits are at odds with long-term trends in the health status of populations. Disability Management in the Workplace is a growing professional industry. With a focus on assisting workers who have been injured or ill return to meaningful and productive work, disability management is an important part of any health and safety framework. Management of absenteeism – enable an employer to exercise its right to manage, while the fundamental rights of its employees. The experts all agree that it must be managed proactively in order to reduce the financial and human costs. Disability Management in the Workplace program – new employers’ program, which aim is to prepare professionals to facilitate a successful return to work for those living with a disability either through illness or injury. It include disability management theory and practice.

2009.gada 14.aprīlīINEMDIP4 Main methods: The analytical review of the current situation of the worldwide economic crisis and tendency of the disability management in the workplace; To study opportunities from employers’ side and identify the areas of improvements in further; To evaluate a level plying field of a contribution from the updating of the employers’ and managers’ knowledge and competencies in the workplace, as well as for increasing employment rate; To summarize the good practice of developing the disability management in the work place in the European countries and particularly in Latvia and to uncover success, problems and difficulties.

2009.gada 14.aprĪlĪINEMDIP5 Current situation Globalization of economic markets, escalating heath care costs, and attention to human and civil rights have created international interest in job retention and employability for workers who become injured or disabled. Economic pressure on workplace to remain competitive in a global market, coupled with rapid technological changes and pressure to downsize, are focus that threaten the employment of workers with disabilities. As the economic and human costs of worker injuries and illnesses rise, the demand for controlling those costs increases. Effective disability management in the workplace can decrease these human and financial costs by getting the worker back on the job in a safe manner at the earliest time.

2009.gada 14.aprīlīINEMDIP6 Accident and Injury Prevention Strategies Every year injuries cause fatalities in the WHO European Region. More than people die every year from injuries in the Baltic countries and in Sweden (population 16.1 million in 2007). An additional people are estimated to live with more or less serious consequences or disabilities, after injuries occur

EMEVOC7 Regional comparisons between Sweden and Baltic States and municipalities A recent study has shown that Baltic States have injury- related death rates that are two to three times higher than Sweden.

2009.gada 14. aprīlīINEMDIP8 What are the benefits? Employers retain experienced workers, improve productivity, reduce lost time and decrease clime costs. Injured workers maintain employment security and benefits while participating in their rehabilitation. They maintain job skills and have increased opportunity for return to their former lifestyle. Unions maintain benefits and employment for their members through their active participation n disability management program development.

Workplace Disability Management program Workplace Disability Management program do not to offer specialized training and professional certification program in workplace, designed to plan for better management of valuable ‘people resources’ in Latvia. This program would to facilitate a successful return to work for those living a disability either through illness or injury. It includes disability management theory and practice. Graduates of the program will have necessary skills to promote these workers returning to normal employment, and assist employers who seek to retained, experienced and committed staff. Experience has shown that where Disability Management Programs exist, costs associated with injury or illness – both human and financial – are significantly reduced.

2009.gada 14.aprīlīINEMDIP10 C ONCLUSION The analytical review of the current situation of the worldwide economic crisis and tendency of the disability management in the workplace, in particularly, gets critical by the reduction their employment opportunities because employers dismiss the first disabled people. The existence of number of parallel social protection schemes, each covering different life risks, and the lack of co-ordination and co- operation among them is another key challenge facing policy makers. During the carrying out of the research it was found out that the evaluation of a contribution of the updating of the knowledge and competencies of the employers and managers in the workplace, as well as for increasing employment rate, are important. The summarizing of the good practice of developing a disability management in the work place in the European countries and particularly in Latvia and to uncover success, problems and difficulties shows that there are many ways towards in the directions of the improvements in future.

R EFERENCES [1] Disabled people must not pay for crisis/ EDF Statement on the Economic Crisis. – Paris, 16 November [2] “Inclusion of people with disabilities” – European strategy for equal opportunities, [3] Report on the employment of disabled people in European countries. – VT/2007/005. Country: Latvia. [4] Robert Ekman PhD, Associate Professor, Karolinska Institute, Department of Public. Health Sciences, Division of Social Medicine Stockholm, Sweden & Advisor Swedish Rescue Services Agency, NCO [5] Sickness, Disability and Work: Breaking the Barriers - Vol. 1 – ISBN © OECD [6] Workplace Disability Management Programme a First Tuesday, 17 March 2009, 10:06 am Press Release: Otago Polytech

Thank for your attention