Profit by Hiring People with Disabilities

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month and Goodwill Industries would like to call your attention to a large, and very diverse population of entry level and highly skilled workers, across all industries, who are capable of overcoming daily challenges and are ready to play a vital role in creating solutions for your business. With the global interest in CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), hiring motivated and qualified individuals from this population also demonstrates that your business is committed to the community and the economic well-being of its residents at all levels.

The definition of “disability” is pretty broad, and includes veterans, young people and older adults with a lifetime of experience and skills. We’d love to chat with you about your needs, and to attempt to find qualified candidates for the job you need done, that arrive at your door with tax credits or other economic and social benefits.

The IRS offers several incentives to businesses that can impact your bottom line. The Work Opportunity Tax Credit provides eligible employers with a tax credit towards wages for an employee who is a member of a targeted group http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=185704,00.html. There are also incentives to help with the cost of accommodations (equipment/services) necessary for the employee to perform the tasks you need accomplished, and even physical modifications to improve access for people with disabilities.

Goodwill Industries of San Diego County has been advocating and training individuals with a variety of abilities to work in retail and production, as well as in emerging fields (both inside and outside of Goodwill) including merchandising and inventory stocking, quality control, secure document destruction and imaging services, environmental services and computer disassembly. Goodwill depends on this diverse workforce to grow our business.

There are three Community Employment Centers in North County operated by Goodwill (Oceanside, Vista, Escondido) that act as a free recruiting resource for businesses. Goodwill is a Social Security Employment Network site which means that our staff guides people receiving Social Security benefits who would like to work, but are afraid of losing some of their benefits. Goodwill also works closely with the Department of Rehabilitation in several programs for people with specific sorts of disabilities to develop skills and work habits in demand in our region. To find out more about how your business might benefit from hiring people with disabilities visit https://www.sdgoodwill.org or email info@sdgoodwill.org and we will help you find the right person for your job.