Getting To Know Your Company Disability Policy

All Canadian employers, big or small are required to have a company disability policy statement for their employees. Equal opportunity is greatly emphasized in all types of employment and requires the company to be fully committed in non-discriminating employees and job applicants. In other words, all employees and applicants are given equal rights and treatment whether or not they have a disability. Any type of discrimination against handicapped individuals is deemed unlawful under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
It should be noted that it is still in the company’s discretion to select applicants based on their skills and expertise. Each employer may take reasonable measures to employ, train and promote individuals based on their abilities and qualifications throughout the employment period. If you are entering a new company and are unsure of what is in store, you can start by learning their short and long term disability policy & procedure by heart.

Understanding the Policy Content

A new employee will find a long policy statement very intimidating. However, you can easily get help understanding the content by asking a disability policy lawyer to explain. Some employers have their own company long term disability policy lawyer that you can approach for questions and clarifications.
In the case of small firms that are still starting out, you can make a say by suggesting a lawyer to make company disability policy. This is beneficial in many ways like:

  • You can contribute to the content creation process. Thus, the policy will be tailor-made to fit your needs as well as those of the other employees.
  • You are sure that the statements in the document are just and lawful. The policy is required to instill a sense of equality among all employees and applicants, regardless of physical and mental condition, so you need content that covers all points.

Why Ask A Lawyer

It is the duty of the company to provide a work environment wherein all employees are treated equally and with respect. With this being said, it is normal for an employee to question the company’s policies that go against this duty. In the case of a company short term disability policy, a rule might be imposed that has too many exceptions or restrictions. If this excludes some employees when it should not have been, then it is a lawyer’s job to act as an intermediary.
It is best to get legal help in such cases because you can legally record the developments of the exchange between the company and the employee. If anything unlawful or discriminating happens, an immediate escalation to court can be done since a lawyer is in place and has valid records of the incident.

How to Understand Policies Best

The first thing you need to do is develop a familiarity with typical company policies. There are many ways of doing this like reading short policies in different company websites. It will not be as detailed, but you can get the main point of each. And you will notice that they will be focused the welfare of the employees. Another way is to check out websites that offer a disability discrimination policy template. This will be a long detailed read of drafted policies for general companies. You will be able to observe the differences between industry types.
Once you have an idea of what to expect from your future employer, all you need to do is wait for your copy of the policy. It will usually come together with your employment contract or proposal, for you to check. If you have any questions, you can ask the human resources officer for an explanation. If this does not satisfy you, then get some legal advice.
It is very important that you are particular especially in the case of getting long term disability insurance Ontario. Some policies go against the stipulations of your insurance, thus negating some of the benefits you could have received. It is advisable that you review first and ensure that everything coincides. Once you are sure, you can join your company without reservations.

Why Should I Get Disability Insurance?

Normally, every employee is part of a group disability insurance policy provided by a third party provider. Most of the time, this is not comprehensive and only covers the most common conditions. If in the foreseeable future, you suspect a development of a major illness that might not be covered, it is best that you get a policy from a private insurance firm.
The Disability insurance Ontario options you have are many. You can decide which coverage to have, so you only pay for those that you think you need. This allows you to exclude those that are already covered by your company’s insurance. At the most part, it will be additional cost. But, it will be a huge help whenever the need arises and there is no choice but to leave work for an indefinite period of time.