30 BCBusiness december 2014 illustration: graham roumieu
1. if you "forget" to book your flights,
business class may be the only option
available on late notice.
2. schedule tweets filled with buzz-
words and hashtags—it'll look like you're
diligently sharing conference intel while
you're actually lounging by the hotel pool.
3. bring your partner along. and the
kids, too. Why not?
4. schedule meetings around leisure
activities. all work and no play is for the
office.
5. upgrade your rental car into some-
thing small and flashy. Who needs a
backseat when you're flying solo?
6. make up for any past low raises or
missed bonuses with unmitigated
mini-bar abuse.
v i s u a l l e a r n i n g
Making the Most
of a Business Trip
1 2
3
4
5
6
percentage of working age
population (15-64) with a
disaBility, By province:
avoid wage subsidies, don't wait for
the perfect position as it doesn't exist,
think 'outside the elevator,' since
only six per cent of the people with
disabilities actually use a wheelchair
or scooter, and stop thinking that
you're not ready.'"
One of the big myths is that you
can't fire or discipline an employee
with a disability. As Melanie Hardy,
associate director of the
YWCA WorkBC
Westside Employment Services Centre,
puts it: "Employees with disabilities fall
under the same laws as everyone else."
Another myth is the perception that
hiring an employee with a disability
will cost a lot. The
BMO survey,
however, found that the average cost
to employers for accommodations in
the workplace was $500 or less. Hardy
says that when accommodations are
actually needed, they are frequently
minor, such as schedule changes or
changes in job duties. And if there is
any cost involved, she says, "WorkBC
staff can help businesses to defray
those expenses."
Doing the right thing is definitely
a nice side benefit to hiring a
disabled person, says Faith Bondar,
but ultimately it's "not sustainable
nor a good way to get a job." She
argues that the move toward a more
inclusive workplace is actually just
good business: "I think we've moved
from that charity, pity model to an
empowerment model—one that says
that all people have something to
offer."
•
source: b.c. statistics canada 2012
15
12
9
6
3
0
B.C. nB ns On Qe Pei
sK
14.2%
highest: nova scotia
Percentage
(%)
6.7%
lowest: Quebec
10%
british columbia
AB MB
nFLD/
LAB
