Shaw Trust response to Philip Davies MP

Read our response to Conservative MP Philip Davies who suggested people with disabilities and mental health issues should offer to work for below the minimum wage so they get a job when competing with able-bodied people:

“We believe Philip Davies' argument that disabled people should accept lower wages is outdated and discriminatory. Shaw Trust has successfully challenged such views for three decades. Helping over 21,000 disabled people into employment in just the last year, we know that disabilities in the workplace can be managed successfully. With the right support many of our clients bring fresh thinking, innovative approaches and productive ways of working which allow disabled people to make a huge contribution to the businesses they are employed by.

Rather than disabled people costing businesses money, it is actually the reverse which is true - the mismanagement of disabilities in the workplace is costing British businesses dearly. It is estimated that staff absence and lost productivity due to poor mental health management for example, creates a financial loss to employers of over £25 billion.

A far more effective approach to employing disabled people is to look at a person's individual skills set and personality, and how well they fit with the organisation's culture - the same approach used to hire anybody."

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