Israel Institute for Occupational Safety and Hygiene
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Interview with the disabled employees
The principles for interviewing the disabled employees are similar to the principles for
interviewing any other employee. The significant difference between the two is the sensitivity
level of the disabled employees and their fear of dismissal: They know that the safety and
health difficulties stemming from their disability are an addition to the difficulties faced by
any other employee.
When the mentally disabled employee has a legal guardian appointed to him, it is necessary
to get the written approval of that guardian before performing the interview.
Moreover, it is advisable (when necessary and appropriate) to interview mentally disabled
employees in the presence of a professional companion, or another person in the plant,
who is trusted by that employee.
Following are several principles for performing the interview:
1. It is necessary to prepare the employee for the meeting. I.e., to notify him about the
subject of the interview, to determine who will be present there, to allow the employee
to invite another person to the meeting upon his choice, to set a timetable and to let
the employee know if there are any changes;
2. Arriving at the meeting well-equipped with proper aids according to the employee’s
disability: Pen and paper or a recording device or any other instrument that might help
the employee to understand everything according to his disability (it is, of course, possible
to consult with the employee on this issue during the preparation phase);
3. It is necessary to maintain the employee’s privacy. It is important to agree in advance on
the personal issues that should be kept secret. However, everything related to safety and
health should be open, since the workplace is interested in improving the employees’
quality of safety and health.
4. It is necessary to sum up the interview in a clear mode and make sure that the employee
understands the summary;
5. It is necessary to allow the employee to have time for thought, for consulting other
functionaries in the community upon his choice and to set another meeting with the
employer – all for the purpose of finding the best way to improve the occupational safety
and health.
The list of accessibility authorization can be found in the website of the center for the
integration of people with disabilities, in the section of useful links.
