Employer

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Is my company required to hire a person with a brain injury if they apply for a job?

If the person has the skills, education and training, you should consider them for employment as you would any other qualified candidate. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you are required to consider their employment if they do have the qualifications as advertised for the position. You can read about this at  https://www.ada.gov/ 

My employee has requested a few changes to be made for his employment while he recovers from his brain injury. These include a flexible part time work schedule, using a digital recorder when he’s being given verbal instructions and a daily ‘to do’ list because he thinks it will keep him better organized and on task. I want to support his return but isn’t this favoritism?

This is a request for a ‘reasonable accommodation’ under the ADA act, even if your employee did not specifically call those ‘changes’ accommodations. By providing these simple accommodations, your employee could perform his job better and cause him to realize his own abilities and strengths during his recovery. 

My Human Resources Director tells me that hiring a person with a brain injury can give our company some financial incentives. What are those incentives?

There are tax credits available to your company when you provide employment to a person with a disability/brain injury who is returning to employment. These credits can include tax credits for qualified hires through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), Small Business Tax Credit and The Architectural/Transportation Tax Deduction through the IRS and NH training programs such as “Project Search’.

For more information about these incentives,

Contact State WOTC Coordinator at (603) 225 – 4079 or https://www.nhes.nh.gov/ 

Tax Benefits for Businesses Who Have Employees with Disabilities:  

https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/tax-benefits-for-businesses-who-have-employees-with-disabilities 

I am concerned about the potential impact on the costs of health insurance, for all my employees. Won’t having an individual with a disability increase my premium costs?

Not necessarily! A person with a disability/brain injury maybe eligible to participate in NH’s “Medicaid for Employed Adults with Disability” program if you organization does not offer free health insurance. The premiums for this medical insurance are paid by the individual. Any employee who is working but has a disability as defined by the Social Security Administration is potentially eligible. Refer your employee to the NH Department of Health and Human Services in their area or go to:  https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/ombp/medicaid/mead.htm 

For answer to these questions and more, please call BIANH at (603) 225-8400

For more information go to:

 https://www.ada.gov/ 

 https://www.nhes.nh.gov/ 

 http://www.rtwknowledge.org/ 

• Allow the person to complete the application without time constraints or with assistance.
• If the person has disclosed a disability, set up any accommodation needed for the interview.
• During the interview, speak clearly, concisely and repeat questions as needed.
• Encourage the applicant to take notes if desired during the interview
• Introduce the applicant to the physical environment so any accommodations needed can be discussed
• Focus on what the applicant can do, not on what they can not do or need assistance with completing.