by Dr Paul Pers, Chief Medical Officer, Jobedge

After four decades working in general practice, occupational health and employment services, I’ve witnessed firsthand what happens when we medicalise everything in our society. We’ve created a system where people experiencing mental health challenges, chronic conditions, or disability often have good medical care by skilled and well-trained general practitioners, however, their fundamental human need for purpose, connection, and identity remains unaddressed as a result of worklessness.

As the federal government’s new Inclusive Employment Australia program prepares to get underway from November 1st 2025, with Employment Service provider Jobedge appointed as one of Adelaide’s largest providers, our collective attitudes to wellbeing and human potential bring into focus both a significant social issue and an untapped economic opportunity.

Despite representing over 21% of our population, people with disability face substantial employment barriers, with only 56% of working-age people with disability currently employed (source), compared with 82% of people without disability. This employment gap represents not just lost human potential, but a failure to embrace thousands of motivated, skilled individuals ready to contribute to our state’s workforce at a time when many industries are crying out for workers.

This is where Australian employers hold unprecedented power – not just to hire, but to heal – by creating opportunities in their workforces that allow people with disability to discover – or rediscover – a sense of purpose. That’s as both a person and an employee, through the positive reinforcement that having a job and being recognised and financially rewarded for making a contribution to something beyond yourself provides.

I call this unique environment that work provides, the “Employer Therapeutic Capsule.” Unlike doctors who are constrained by 15-minute appointments and overwhelmed caseloads who only get a tiny snapshot into people’s physical, mental, and emotional state, employers can provide something medical professionals simply cannot: daily social scaffolding, meaningful identity, and a genuine sense of belonging that can be just as transformative as any prescription.

The Hidden Health Crisis in Australia’s Workforce

What I’ve observed through my work with hundreds of participants at Jobedge is that many aren’t primarily thinking about their medical diagnoses when seeking employment. They’re not focused on their bipolar disorder, chronic back pain, or anxiety. Instead, they’re thinking about fundamental human needs: “Can I buy things for my children? Can I afford my own accommodation rather than living with my parents indefinitely? Can I participate socially, go to the pub, attend a football match, build relationships?”

These aren’t medical problems requiring clinical solutions. They’re social and economic challenges that employment uniquely addresses. Meanwhile, research shows that when the right environment exists, people with disability thrive, with job satisfaction levels among employed people with disability increasing significantly in recent years (source), demonstrating the transformative power of inclusive workplaces.

The Employer as Therapeutic Agent

The “Employer Therapeutic Capsule” comes into effect through its ability to provide a persistent mild antidote to what I term “multiple life predicaments” – the daily stresses and challenges we all face each day. Rather than viewing disability through a medical lens, progressive employers are able to adopt what I call a “common sense business approach,” recognising the unique value of each human being and allowing them to feel valued.

This approach is so powerful because it addresses three fundamental human needs that traditional healthcare cannot:

  • Social Connection: Employment provides daily interaction, shared purpose, and belonging to something larger than oneself. These social connections are increasingly recognised as critical to mental and physical health.
  • Identity and Purpose: Work provides structure, achievement, and social identity. For many people with disability, employment represents the difference between being seen as their condition versus being valued for their contributions.
  • Economic Independence: Beyond basic survival, employment enables participation in community life – the simple dignity of choosing how to spend your time and money.

The therapeutic effect among people with disability isn’t complex. As one employer who has worked with Jobedge participants for years told me: successful integration often requires just small periods of acknowledgment – specific, meaningful recognition or an ever-present environment of acceptance, rather than grand gestures or major overhauls of places and processes.

The Business Case for Therapeutic Employment

This isn’t merely social responsibility; it’s sound business strategy. Research by Accenture comparing “disability inclusion champions” with other companies shows that businesses hiring disabled employees have 28% higher revenue, 30% higher economic profit margins, and 111% higher net income (source).

The benefits extend beyond financial performance:

  • Retention and Loyalty: Individuals with disability often seek stable, long-term employment, leading to higher retention rates and lower organisational turnover. One Adelaide company I work with regularly has found that employees with disability we’ve prepared are notably more job-ready than those from other sources.
  • Enhanced Productivity: A study by Walgreens which dates back to 2007 found that their distribution centre employing more than 30% workers with disabilities was 20% more efficient than comparable facilities, while also showing improved safety records (source).
  • Innovation and Problem-Solving: People with disability often develop exceptional problem-solving skills through navigating daily challenges. This translates into workplace innovation and creative solutions that benefit entire organisations.
  • Cultural Transformation: The presence of employees with disabilities can elevate the culture of the entire organisation, making it more collaborative and boosting productivity.

Getting the Medicine Right

The “prescription” for successful disability employment isn’t complicated. Through Jobedge’s work across Adelaide, we’ve identified a number of key ingredients:

  • Preparation, Not Pity: People with disability don’t want sympathy – they want opportunity. Our role is ensuring they’re equipped with practical skills: how to present themselves, engage in effective workplace communication, and adopt a professional attitude. Many participants have never received this fundamental career guidance.
  • Common Sense Integration: Over in the US, research by the Department of Labor found that half of all job accommodations cost employers nothing, and when they do have a cost, it’s typically around $300 USD (less than $500 AUD) – usually a very small one-time expense (source).
  • Mutual Understanding: The most successful placements occur when employers and employees have honest conversations: “Tell me what’s important to you, and I’ll tell you what’s important to me. Let’s see how we can marry that up.”

Adelaide’s Opportunity

Employers don’t need medical training to dispense this therapeutic intervention. They need patience, understanding, and recognition that supporting employees doesn’t require excessive effort. What works is often simple: small periods of specific positive feedback, reasonable accommodations, and the commonsense business approach that successful employers already use with all their staff.

When employers embrace their role in the “Therapeutic Capsule,” they’re not just filling positions, they’re literally transforming lives while strengthening their own organisations. In a tight labour market where skills shortages persist, this represents both moral imperative and competitive advantage. Some industries, like aged care, desperately need employees, while simultaneously overlooking qualified candidates with disabilities. This represents a massive, missed opportunity when workforce shortages constrain economic growth.

With Jobedge’s delivery of Inclusive Employment Australia program set to encompass Northern Adelaide, Western Adelaide, and the Murraylands, South Australian employers have even greater access to job-ready, motivated talent.

The medicine is available. The prescription is clear. The question for employers in Adelaide and across South Australia is whether they’re ready to become part of the cure.

Dr Paul Pers is a Director at Jobedge and serves as Chief Medical Officer. For more information about Jobedge’s Inclusive Employment Australia services, you can visit our website.

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