Every year, Trillium has the distinct pleasure to recognize several fantastic inclusive employers as part of National Disability Employment Awareness Month. These businesses exhibit excellent qualities and we want everyone to know about it! We’ve had various themes from year to year, selecting different aspects of what it means to be a true inclusive employer and selecting those that exemplify each aspect. This year, our King, Pierce and Kitsap County offices selected employers based on these three aspects: best new inclusive employer, the most inclusive workplace, and the most active advocate.
For some employers, hiring their first supported employee can be a bit intimidating. However, nearly all of them quickly realize and celebrate the newfound contributions and benefits! Some can’t wait to hire another, tell their peers about supported employment, or increase the hours and duties of their employee as soon as possible. The winners of the 2016 Best New Inclusive Employer are:
- Bill Korum’s Puyallup Nissan (Pierce County)
- Town & Country (Kitsap County)
- Inspired Results (King County)
When it comes to fostering a healthy workplace environment, some employers take great consideration into the abilities, needs and cultures of their employees. These employers take action, and see to it that their employees feel welcome, included and valuable. The winners of the 2016 Most Inclusive Workplace are:
- Gordon Family YMCA (Pierce)
- Seefilm Bremerton (Kitsap)
- Panera Bread (King)
We at Trillium have found that one of the most effective means to help businesses overcome concerns about supported employment is to hear to it works from their peers. Several of the employers that partner with us are happy to share their experiences and how it has benefited their business, often in unexpected ways. These employers have encouraged other businesses to consider how supported employment can help their company achieve their goals. The winners of the Most Active Advocate are:
- Jimmy Johns (Pierce)
- Catie’s Creations (Kitsap)
- Azteca Mexican Restaurant (King)
We are so pleased to announce these award winners and we thank them for all that they do for their supported employees and for building an inclusive workforce! Want to know where you can find these employers? Check out our Inclusive Business Finder!
Additional Highlight:
- Donna Gunnels, one of our fantastic Employment Consultants in Clark County, received the David Hanawalt Service Award. You can watch a video of her excellent acceptance speech here!