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The monetary benefits of and costs of hiring supported employees: A primer
Article Summary
Cimera (2002) examined the monetary benefits and costs that businesses experience when hiring supported employees. Cimera measured employer cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness using an economic methodology and cost-accounting formula. He also discusses the importance of cost-account research as well as implications to the field. In addition, Cimera reports on eight principle economic variables that affect the decision to hire supported employees. The eight variables include, wages, fringe benefits, supervision, worker's compensation claims, employee turnover, tax credits, supervision, and public relations.
Cimera lists several examples that examine cost efficiency versus cost-effectiveness. Cimera reports, "Understanding their differences, and similarities, will help shed some light as to how to examine whether employers should hire supported employees." There are advantages and disadvantages of the cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness methodologies. The Cost-efficiency method can only assess one option at a time, however they attempt to count for the benefits as well as the costs. On the other hand, the cost-effectiveness method, only examines costs, but they can evaluate several options at once. Cimera reports, "To examine whether employers should hire supported employees a combination of these two methodologies need to be developed."
Cimera states, "In order to secure supported employment's future, more must be learned regarding the monetary benefits and costs that employers incur when they utilize supported employment programs." Cimera also reports that the methodology he proposes must be pilot-tested, in order for supported employment programs to benefit individuals with disabilities and employers. Furthermore, Cimera believes that research must be undertaken, which examines longitudinally the monetary benefits and costs experienced by employers who hired supported employees. Cimera concludes, "Finally, due to the fluid nature of economic evaluation, multiple studies will have to be conducted before a clear picture of the employer perspective can be painted."
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Reference: Cimera, R. E. (2002). The monetary benefits and costs of hiring supported employees: A primer. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, (17), 23-32.
Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation
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