Workplace expectations on National Disability Insurance Agency staff are deterring people with a disability from applying for positions, the main public sector union has warned.
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The Community and Public Sector Union says job descriptions posted online include conditions which "place a barrier" in front of people looking to gain employment.
The agency has rejected the union's claim, saying it is an "employer of choice" for people with a disability and a leader for access and inclusion.
The union has pointed to job ads for agency planner roles, which list a number of workplace conditions and expectations it argues could discourage people with a disability from applying.
This includes an expectation that staff might need to work in an open-plan office where they would be "exposed to workplace chatter". There are concerns that might deter applications from people with a hearing impairment.
The union's deputy national secretary, Beth Vincent-Pietsch, said its members were worried the agency didn't reflect the community it served.
"The agency must ensure that they aren't just paying lip service to inclusivity, it must be a model employer and not restrict employment opportunities on arbitrary requirements that couldn't affect the output of an employee," she said.
"The agency, on one hand, has encouraged people with a disability to apply for jobs, while on the other making it clear that the work environment does not want workers with disabilities that would need support to undertake the role.
"These recruitment notices place a barrier for people living with a disability from applying, when there are established modifications that can be successfully used.
"The benefits to the NDIA and the participants of the scheme from having planners and responders with first-hand knowledge of disability is well known. Why is the agency trying to place limitations in the way of a better NDIS?"
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In a statement, an agency spokesman said it was wrong to suggest that it placed "barriers" to employment in front of people with a disability.
The spokesman said the agency had a dedicated team of disability liaison officers which managed "workplace adjustments" for employees and new starters.
"The [liaison officers] contact employees with disability prior to their commencement and case manage the employee until all workplace adjustments and/or access and inclusion needs are in place," he said.
The latest APS census showed about 17 per cent of agency staff had a disability - the highest proportion in the federal public service.
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