“It was the Christmas period, and the number of orders had increased. We could no longer pack the products ourselves, so we started looking for a packer. Then I saw a good example of inclusive employment on television: a company that had hired a person with a disability to do relatively simple work and was happy about it. Maybe that would be something for my company? Why not give it a try? After some research, my colleague found an organisation specialising in helping people with disabilities find jobs. They quickly got in touch, found out what kind of employee we were looking for, and sent us two candidates. The first candidate did not like the location, but the second candidate really liked the specifics of the job and had similar experience. We decided to hire the second candidate, Ugnė.”

“Fortunately, a job coach from this organisation arrived in the first week of work. He was a great support. He explained who to contact to arrange all the administrative details that arise when hiring a person with a disability. The job coach told us that we would be eligible for financial support, so we contacted the employment service to apply for it. We were granted a short-term, three-month subsidy of 50 per cent of the salary. I must admit that hiring a person with a disability takes a little longer because more paperwork is needed. However, it is also the way to receive the financial support that we could use in the beginning for her guidance process”.

‘The first working week started with the job coach, who helped us communicate with Ugnė. This was an eye-opener for us. For example, if you tell her you’ll be in the office at 10 o’clock, she’ll be waiting for you at exactly 10. However, if you arrive earlier or without warning, she’ll become irritated. Once you know this, you understand why she reacts badly when you do something different to what you said you would do.”

‘The job coach also helped us understand what needed to be adapted to make her feel comfortable and able to do the packing job. It was interesting to see what needed adapting. In fact, it was only details that needed to be changed. The workroom had to be arranged so that only essential and necessary information was visible. Ugnė should only need to read a little to quickly find out where the products are placed and which packaging needs to be used. We marked the different products in separate colours, which was a simple solution. On the bottles, we put icons of water drops to show how many drops should be in each bottle”.

“At first, the job coach oversaw Ugnė’s work to ensure she understood the production requirements and procedures. She was very motivated to learn the job. After six months, the job coach only needed to come once or twice a week to check everything was OK. Now, Ugnė can work on her own. Also, Ugnė used to work slowly at first. It took her time to learn how to fold the boxes properly and understand the importance of every detail in the package. For example, the sticker had to be placed in a specific position to make the package look more attractive. Ugnė is now our packing expert and pays great attention to detail. She loves concrete tasks and stability. Initially, we wanted to pay her a salary related to her production. However, after a while, it became clear that her productivity was not improving, so we decided to pay her a fixed salary instead”.

‘Having a colleague with a disability had an impact, albeit a small one. It’s all about the little things, and once you’re aware of them, it’s easy to think of ways to implement them. For example, if we want to change anything in the working environment to avoid causing irritation, we first need to consider how to inform her. We once moved the microwave in the kitchen. It was no big deal for us, but it was a real-life change for Ugnė. She wasn’t happy about it and complained about it for some time. Now, we carefully inform her that some changes will be made in the future. Then, we give her some time to get used to the idea, and finally inform her right before making the actual changes.”

“I am satisfied with my decision to offer Ugnė a job. It feels good; it’s the emotional satisfaction that comes with doing good for society. I have also received a lot of free advertising ever since I hired her. This was completely unexpected. The strongest added value for me in employing Ugnė is that she is a motivated worker who you know won’t leave in a couple of months and who values the job. My initial impulsive reaction has turned into well-considered actions, and I now have three people with disabilities working as packers in my team. People with disabilities have started contacting us directly and proposing themselves. We might consider an accountant role in the future, and we already have one person with a disability who has contacted us, saying that he would love to join our team as an accountant. I would say, “Let’s go for it!”