The Best Thing About the Pandemic: Realizing What's Important

Boston MA

02 December, 2020

7:30 AM

Description

The coronavirus pandemic is teaching us many things about our nation's workforce. Companies realize that employees working from home, despite distractions and distance, can be extremely efficient. Leaders are recognizing the sheer amount of work that happens over the computer anyway, not face-to-face, and businesses across industries (retail, healthcare, professional services) are rethinking the uses of physical office space. Organizations large and small are improving their digital tools and shifting employees and company cultures to foster virtual connections. This shift to remote work – or telework - is also showing us that disabled workers are an incredible resource for our economy. Disabled workers helped save the call center industry earlier this year when the pandemic first hit and in-person call centers across the U.S. and around the world transitioned to virtual. The New York Times reported on this in April, but the efforts of disabled workers have sustained the industry and many others in the months since. NTI@Home is collecting stories like these on its News & More resource page, showcasing call center agents with disabilities who work remotely for NTI and the 25 employer partners, companies such as John Hancock, VForce, and Customer Lobby. The growth in telework is an opportunity for the 61 million Americans managing visible and invisible disabilities to find meaningful, long-term jobs. Individuals with conditions such as depression, anxiety, back pain, arthritis, migraines and dyslexia are successfully working remotely. There are currently about 8.5 million people receiving SSDI benefits, each of whom are eligible for the Social Security Administration's Ticket-to-Work program, which helps beneficiaries supplement their income with part-time jobs. NTI@Home is an experienced nonprofit that recruits, trains, and places individuals with disabilities in remote call center positions. The service is free to eligible candidates. NTI is a verified partner of the Social Security Administration and Ticket-to-Work program. Learn more about becoming a remote call center agent by visiting https://www.ntiathome.org/news-and-more.