Financial incentives to promote employment of people with disabilities: when and how they work best

Reasons for the study

Financial incentives for employers to recruit, retain and promote persons with disabilities take many forms. They are used in Canada and elsewhere as a way to address low rates of employment among people with disabilities.

In Canada, the federal government directly operates programs in this domain and supports other initiatives through transfer payments to the provinces. The funds allocated to employment support activities are substantial. However, little research has been done examining how and when financial incentives work to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Objectives of the study

Target audience

The findings will profile opportunities, challenges, risks and benefits of financial incentives to encourage hiring and retaining people with disabilities. They will also offer guidance on how financial incentives should or should not be used to increase employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. As such, the findings will be relevant to injured worker and disability communities, employers, policy-makers, disability program administrators and service providers.