Written by Adrian Vergaray, Ruth Cruz, Jesus Huamani and Sofía Ticona.
Presentation of the issue
In 2012, the General Law on Persons with Disabilities (Law No. 29973) was enacted to promote rights and guarantee the full participation of this part of the population in different public and private spheres, including employment (Flores, 2013). The law principally imposes two measures on public and private employers: hiring persons with disabilities and recognising specific benefits[1] (La Ley, 2015). Nevertheless, a common question among persons with disabilities when applying for a new job or already working is whether they should inform the company that they have a disability.
Explanation of the issue
First, it is important to emphasise that, as a general rule, no person is required to disclose their health status when applying for a job. In addition, Peruvian labour law recognises that a person with a disability has the right not to be discriminated against on the basis of disability and must therefore be considered for the job for which they apply on an equal basis with others (Law No. 29973). In Peru, for example, if a person with a disability applies in a public merit-based recruitment process, meets the requirements for the position and achieves a passing score, they receive a 15% bonus on the final score obtained in the assessment stage, including the final interview (Law No. 29973, Art. 48). At present, relatively few people obtain this benefit.
Second, if a worker has a disability and discloses it, the employer must adapt the job to the worker’s personal circumstances (Álvarez, 2019) by providing reasonable accommodation[2] in the workplace according to the worker’s needs, unless it is demonstrated that the accommodation would impose an excessive economic burden (De Las Casas, 2015).
Third, it is possible that a company that might otherwise hire an applicant could refrain from doing so because the applicant is a person with a disability (Álvarez, 2019), since employers may assume that persons with disabilities will not be sufficiently productive when they lack awareness and training on disability inclusion (Inclúyeme, 2017). The law prohibits discriminatory acts based on disability that affect a person’s rights (Law No. 29973). In practice, however, discrimination persists in employment because it may be difficult to determine the real reasons behind an employer’s decision.
Final reflection
Today, employability remains a complex issue for persons with disabilities because some people fear disclosing their disability in case prejudice about their productivity creates a barrier between employer and employee. Even though legal rules prohibit employers from engaging in discrimination and promote inclusive recruitment processes, the situation will not improve if companies fail to comply and continue perpetuating prejudices about the productivity of persons with disabilities. The central problem lies with companies that act on these prejudices and thereby create further barriers. Companies should instead build an inclusive culture and normalise hiring persons with disabilities. In that environment, a person with a disability will have less reason to hesitate about communicating their disability, whether when applying for a new job or to an employer when already working.
References:
[1] Under Law No. 29973, specific employment-related measures for persons with disabilities include: a 15% disability bonus on the final score obtained in the assessment stage of public merit-based recruitment processes; and access to the employment quota for workers with disabilities (Law No. 29973).
[2] Under Article 3.2 of the Regulations to Law No. 29973, “reasonable accommodation” means: “necessary and appropriate modifications and adjustments required in a particular case which, without imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, ensure that a person with a disability can enjoy or exercise, on an equal basis with others, all human rights and fundamental freedoms.” (Law No. 29973)
Bibliography:
Álvarez, P. (2019, 22 de octubre). ¿Tengo que informar a la empresa que me va a contratar que tengo una discapacidad? https://pacoalvarezgonzalez.es/informar-a-la-empresa-que-tengo-discapacidad/#:~:text=No%20existe%20una%20obligaci%C3%B3n%20legal,respecto%20de%20la%20relaci%C3%B3n%20laboral
De Las Casas, O. (2015) Cuota de contratación de trabajadores con discapacidad. https://www.infocapitalhumano.pe/recursos-humanos/alerta-legal/cuota-de-contratacion-de-trabajadores-con-discapacidad/?thc-month=202010
Flores, J. (2013). Deducción adicional sobre las remuneraciones de las personas con discapacidad (Parte 1). Actualidad Empresarial N° 273 - Segunda Quincena de Febrero 2013.
Inclúyeme. (2017). 4 motivos por los que personas con discapacidad no consiguen empleo. https://www.incluyeme.com/4-motivos-los-personas-discapacidad-no-consiguen-empleo/
La Ley. (2015, 12 de junio). Cuota de empleo y fiscalización. Trabajadores con discapacidad: 7 datos que debes saber sobre su contratación. https://laley.pe/art/2544/trabajadores-con-discapacidad-7-datos-que-debes-saber-sobre-su-contratacion
Ley N°29973. Diario Oficial el Peruano, Lima, Perú, 13 December 2012. https://www.mimp.gob.pe/webs/mimp/herramientas-recursos-violencia/contenedor-dgcvg-recursos/contenidos/Legislacion/Ley-general-de-la-Persona-con-Discapacidad-29973.pdf
