Three in five UK employees with a disability have experienced bias in the workplace compared to 35% of those without a disability, according to data from Badenoch & Clark, a recruitment consultancy subsidiary of the Adecco Group UK & Ireland.

The report, ‘Inspiring Inclusion in the Workplace’, also found that 65% of those with a mental disability and 45% of those with a physical disability believe that their organisation does not offer an inclusive environment. Furthermore, 48% of disabled candidates have either left a job or not applied for a role or promotion due to workplace bias, in comparison with 20% of those without a disability.

Meanwhile, 50% of those with a physical disability said that they had taken pains to hide their condition from employers when applying for a job, with that figure increasing to 60% when it came to those suffering from a mental health issue.

“Organisations need to realise that poor inclusion practices are bad for business,” Nicola Linkleter, President of Professional Staffing, Badenoch & Clark, said. “In the UK today, 16% of working age adults have a disability, 15% of which have a degree. With skills shortages an undeniable threat, employers need to start viewing candidates with disabilities as untapped talent.”

“We’d like to see more employers taking the initiative to remove barriers to disability in the workplace, developing attraction and retention strategies that capture an underrepresented talent pool, and working with universities and recruitment consultancies to advise disabled students on how to interview confidently,” Linkleter said.