The steps to compliance with the AODA employment standards
1. Understand the
law and the requirements
A lot of people tend to overlook this part of the process, yet
it’s the foundation of good compliance practice. Before you can properly
establish and implement a plan, you’ll need to understand what the current
accessibility laws and obligations require of you and your HR practices.
2. Determine your
deadline for compliance
The compliance date for small organization with employees in
Ontario to meet the new employment standards was January 1, 2017, while the
date for larger organizations (50+ employees) was January 1, 2016.
3. Review your
existing HR policies, procedures and practices
The goal here should be the removal and prevention of any
barriers for persons with disabilities at all points of the employment cycle.
4. Write your new
policy
Create your policy for the AODA employment standards, including
your organization’s statement of commitment to employment practices that are
fair, accessible and welcoming for everyone.
5. Establish your
multi–year accessibility plan
Your organization’s plan needs to indicate how you intend to
implement the requirements for each employment standard. This includes
descriptions of the barriers you’ve identified and corrective actions for those
barriers.
6. Train your
managers and employees
Once you are ready to roll out your multi–year plan, you will
need to communicate the revised HR processes to management and staff and
provide regular training so your employees understand them.
7. Monitor and
enforce your revised processes
Regularly check to see if management and employees are putting
your new processes into practice according to your organization’s multi–year
plan.
Is your
organization finding it difficult to comply with the Employment standard of the
AODA?
If you are
interested in learning more about Accessibility
for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) or how to make accessibility a natural
part of your business through the application of Corporate Social Responsibility, please contact Sandra Broekhof @
416-579-1035 orsandra_broekhof@sympatico.ca