Disability pay gap | Disabled workers paid 12% less at work

Despite research indicating that hiring a diverse workforce can have a positive impact on a company's bottom line, new data compiled by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that the average disabled worker is paid 12.2% less than their able-bodied peers.

This continuation of workplace prejudice is the equivalent to a disparity of £1.48 per hour. The study found that the median pay for disabled employees in 2018 was £10.63 per hour, compared with £12.11 per hour for non-disabled employees.

And whilst this pay gap is present for all disabled workers, those with mental impairments were hit hardest; those with disabilities defined by ONS as depression, anxiety, mental illness, nervous disorder, epilepsy or a learning disability earned an average of just £9.82 per hour.

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Those with impairments which affect the nervous system such as HIV, cancer or multiple sclerosis faced the narrowest gap at 7.4%, or £11.80 per hour, compared to 9.7% for physical impairments.