Guideline aims to protect working rights of disabled

The central government has taken measures to tighten the supervision on improper or illegal behavior encroaching on the working rights of people with disabilities to ensure they can live dignified lives and participate in more friendly working environments.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the China Disabled Persons' Federation recently released a guideline focused on protecting the working rights of the disabled.

Under the guideline, the ministry and the federation are urging local governments to improve their employment services to jobseekers with disabilities and to introduce them to employers free of charge.

In addition, human resources agencies and recruitment companies should set reasonable fees for their efforts to find jobs for disabled workers and are encouraged to lower their commissions.

These agencies and recruitment companies or platforms can help employers develop job vacancies suitable for the disabled and establish smart, information-based systems to manage their labor contracts, payments and insurance.

The guideline urges human resource departments to tighten their supervision over improper or illegal behavior infringing on their disabled employees' working rights. Unauthorized job introductions and labor dispatching, as well as illegal wage deductions, are prohibited.

The guideline encourages local governments to promote employment policies and measures tailored for the disabled. Lectures can be organized for employers to inform them about the laws and regulations related to the hiring of disabled people.

More publicity activities and law-related lectures should be provided to disabled people to improve awareness of how to protect themselves and encourage them to report behavior that harms their working rights, according to the guideline.

The government should also recognize some employers that have a good track record in terms of hiring and protecting their disabled workers.