Head of the Central Council of Representatives of Disabled Employees Scott McDonald discusses what goes on in people’s heads during an interview, making sure that cashiers have the right kinds of chairs, quiet hours for supermarkets, accommodating the needs of older employees – and the fact that young people are (invariably) better than they are portrayed.
For the past year and a half, you’ve served as head of the council representing disabled employees at REWE and PENNY Markt GmbH, as the main official responsible for safeguarding the interests and needs of colleagues living with serious disabilities. How would you describe the situation today?
Scott McDonald: Our Inclusion Agreement entered into force during the COVID-19 pandemic. With that agreement in mind, I asked myself these questions: What measures are already in place, what else do we want or need, and how do we get to where we want to go?
Scott Mcdonald
Chairman of the General Representation of Employees with Disabilities at REWE and PENNY Markt GmbH.
And…?
Scott McDonald: First, I should say that it’s not people who need to change, it’s the system. People are fine just as they are. Everyone has the right to be treated ‘normally’ and with respect, whether or not they have an illness or condition. Second, inclusion doesn’t just mean including people with serious disabilities – that’s only part of it. It’s about society’s response to disabilities, about giving people with disabilities opportunities to take part, about eliminating barriers, finding ways to recruit new colleagues and so on.
What might those ways be?
Scott McDonald: The goal is to ensure equal opportunities for all and have the courage to risk providing disabled people with those opportunities. If it doesn’t work out, at least we will have tried – and after all, there’s always the risk that a new hire won’t work out, even if that person has no disabilities.
What are the possible risks?
Scott McDonald: Let’s say that a job candidate discloses her disability while interviewing for a job. It’s likely that some executive will start to worry: “Oh my goodness, she’ll be absent a lot. I’ll never be able to fire her…“, but that’s nonsense. First of all, the law applies to everyone. But my point is this: some people start thinking about what could go wrong even before a contract has been signed and the potential new employee has been given a chance. Those people are the exception, however; most people in our company act differently. But, of course, there’s always more that can be done.
What conclusions have you and your colleagues drawn?
Scott McDonald: In Region North, we formed an inclusion team comprising representatives from HR, the works council, the council of representatives of employees with disabilities, health management, recruitment and experts on occupational safety. We’re a diverse group of people who come together to brainstorm and discuss our ideas.
What ideas have you come up with so far?
Scott McDonald: We’re currently testing three projects: Do Day, Shift Change, and Quiet Hour.
Do Day is a kind of “Boys’ and Girls’ Day“ for people employed at sheltered workshops. They spend a day shadowing us at the company, learning how things work. And perhaps one or two of them will have a future with us…
Shift Change is a 1:1 exchange. I spend a day working at a sheltered workshop, while the person who normally does that job takes my place for a day.
The Quiet Hour concept originated in New Zealand as a way of enabling people with autism to go shopping. At a specific time each week, stores temporarily reduce the noise level and dim the lights. Many retailers here in Germany have already introduced this concept and I am eager to offer it at one of our stores. It’s interesting to note that it’s not just autistic customers and older people who welcome Quiet Hour; our employees appreciate it, too. They find that their stress is substantially reduced when the store is quiet for an hour each week, with no beeping, no announcements, less bright light… We can hardly imagine what it’s like to be exposed to these stimuli on a daily basis.
This concept benefits the employees as well as the customers…
Scott McDonald: Our colleagues are the most important thing. They are the ones who keep everything running, so we need to take the best possible care of them. Especially as they grow older, the question is how to do that. How can we keep them happy, content and, most importantly, healthy? How can they remain healthy so that they can stay with us as long as possible? Stress levels are high; for example, in the stores and in logistics, and experience shows that it is older employees who get sick in the course of their careers.
Obviously, I want everyone to stay healthy. Realistically, though, most people will fall ill at some point – some earlier, some later. As someone who represents employees with disabilities, I ask this question: What can we do to ensure that this is delayed for as long as possible?
What ideas do we already have?
Scott McDonald: We are doing a great deal to keep our colleagues healthy. We just have to do a better job of communicating those efforts. For example: anyone who sits for a long time, whether in an office or at the checkout counter, needs support. For offices, height-adjustable desks are a great option. We’re currently in the process of getting new chairs for cashiers, and taking a look at their workplaces. No one chair will ever fit everyone perfectly, but the point is to reduce stress. This is just one example of the things we’re doing to improve health. Unfortunately, however, the message is not always getting through to the employees. For example, they have to be repeatedly reminded of how to sit properly…
So people who are healthy can’t imagine ever being sick?
Scott McDonald: Most people do not come to us until the damage is already done. I’m a great believer in prevention. But unfortunately, our day-to-day work as disability representatives is more about reacting to issues than prevention.
I assume you’d prefer to address problems earlier – starting with younger colleagues?
Scott McDonald: Yes. And we’re successful when we do that. It seems that members of the younger generation expect to get more out of life, so they have a heightened awareness of health issues. Older people often fail to recognise what’s good for them until later on, in many cases when they fall ill. The younger generation is more aware.
Just one more question: What advice would you give to a job candidate with a disability: Is it better to disclose the disability during a job interview?
Scott McDonald: I can’t offer advice, but I do hope that at some point everyone will deal with disabilities openly and that this will no longer be an issue. I want us to be the kind of company that gives everyone the opportunities they deserve. I want people with disabilities to be judged the same as people without disabilities. This is already largely the case at our company. Overall, we’re already making pretty good progress with inclusion. But we’re not talking loudly enough about it.
