Two problems facing the workforce – endemic staffing issues in the hospitality industry and underemployment of disabled people – can be solved together, a new report by Melbourne social enterprise All Things Equal suggests.

Since launching in 2021, All Things Equal has employed and trained 31 disabled Victorians in its Balaclava cafe and nearby cooking school, catering operation and kiosk. Workers’ conditions include autism, Down syndrome, intellectual disability and cerebral palsy.

“There’s a gap,” says CEO Jess Colgan. “The hospitality industry needs more skilled, reliable people [and] we have a waitlist of 100 people with disability who are eager to work. How do we match up the need in the disability sector with the need in the hospitality industry?”

Michaela Sacho has been with All Things Equal for three years and now works every Monday in the cafe’s kitchen and never misses a shift. “I do chopping, cooking, baking,” she says. “I make salads, egg mix, tuna mix. I bake cookies. I’m a very good worker. I’m reliable. I like coming to work and seeing other people.”

All Things Equal has outlined a three-step employment pathway in its newly released Equal Opportunity blueprint, which Colgan hopes opens the door for more people with disabilities to find ongoing employment, as businesses realise it’s not as hard as they may think to diversify their workforces.

Participants start in the All Things Equal cooking school says Colgan. “They learn transferable skills that are important for work such as communication, teamwork, punctuality and professional attire. It’s a good chance for people to test the waters and see if hospitality is the right fit.”

If it is, they move into award-wage employment at the All Things Equal cafe, either in the kitchen or serving diners. “We continue to focus on skills: how do I give and receive feedback? How do I follow instructions, procedures and policies?”

If and when they’re ready, All Things Equal aims to link these people with other workplaces for ongoing roles. “We can’t do this alone,” says Colgan. “We are calling on hospitality businesses to commit to employing 1100 people with disability by 2035. We want to drive the shift toward making inclusion standard practice in hospitality.”

People with disability are twice as likely to be underemployed compared with those without disability, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. In the Disability Royal Commission, tennis champion and former Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott noted that “[people with disability] deserve the choice like everybody else to get out there and find employment. And it can be a pretty brutal landscape [to] get those opportunities [and] have the choice and control over their life if they want to work”.

Sacho is on the verge of moving into a role at leading caterer Food and Desire. “I feel a little bit nervous and also excited,” she says. Her tasks may include forming tart shells, assembling tiramisu and crafting individual cheesecakes for major events such as the Melbourne Grand Prix.

The repetition that some employees may rail against is a plus for some workers with disability. “We have many people who thrive on doing the same jobs because they like the predictability,” says Colgan. “That can be really awesome in hospitality because there are a lot of jobs that occur day in, day out, and need to happen the same way each time.”

Disabled workers are supported by co-workers funded by the National Disability Insurance Scheme. “A qualified chef works side-by-side with Michaela and also to do tasks alongside her,” says Colgan. “The NDIS provides support that creates an economic benefit both to the individual and to the business.”

Potential employers often think it will be too hard to employ someone with a disability. “No matter who you’re hiring, it’s about asking the person what they need to thrive in the job – often those things are quite simple,” says Colgan. “In Michaela’s instance, her favourite part about coming to work is people asking about her weekend and making her feel welcome. That’s very simple. It’s how people should behave at work.”

At W Melbourne, HR director David West is actively working to increase the number of employees with disability at the CBD hotel and restaurant complex. An All Things Equal worker is starting this month, adding to the 7 per cent of staff who identify as having a disability.

To smooth the path, West has made accommodations such as sending questions to candidates before interviews, encouraging them to bring a support person and rethinking job descriptions to create shorter shifts. “Alterations are not that hard, it’s about listening and understanding,” he says.

West has found having more employees with disability reduces staff turnover. “There’s data about people with a disability being loyal,” he says. “During 2024, our staff turnover decreased from 52 per cent to 33 per cent.

“We can continue to complain about staff shortages, or we can widen our hiring lens and future-proof our industry.”