MINNEAPOLIS – Joshin, a company that provides comprehensive solutions for disability and neurodivergence support in the workplace, announced Wednesday that it is expanding its enterprise client roster with Tyson Foods as a pilot program committed to empowering and enabling inclusivity in its workforce.
Tyson Foods joins other marquee brands, including Best Buy and Spring Health, leveraging Joshin’s pioneering employee program that includes specialized care and navigation, one-on-one live coaching, and neurodivergent- and disability-focused self-service training and resources.
Data from the Center for Talent Innovation reveals that 30% of employees are connected to disability or neurodivergence, and 62% of disabled employees have a non-visible disability. However, diverse hiring practices must be supported with inclusive support. The majority (97%) of employees with disabilities indicated that they do not feel comfortable disclosing their disability to employers.
“Diversity, equity, and inclusion does not begin and end at recruiting practices,” said Melanie Fountaine, COO of Joshin. “To truly have sustainable and inclusive support for all employees, companies must create a culture of inclusion and belonging and that starts with having an environment where employees feel comfortable self-disclosing their disability. This is a guiding ideal at Tyson Foods and our employee program was a perfect fit to support their efforts to increase inclusive support of Tyson team members.”
Research from Great Place to Work Certified shows that when employees in a high-trust culture experience a caring workplace, they are 44% more likely to work for a company with above-average revenue growth. The addition of Joshin’s program further underscores Tyson’s commitment to meeting the needs of its workforce. Tyson has been consistently ranked No. 1 on Fortune magazine’s list of World’s Most Admired Companies for six years in a row.
“We work hard each day to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace with actions that will positively impact all team members and create a legacy of belonging for the future,” said Paul E. Davis, vice president and chief equity, inclusion & diversity officer at Tyson Foods. “This partnership with Joshin gives us the tools and resources to have a more open dialogue with team members and build connectivity across the company.”
A recent report from Boston Consulting Group revealed that companies drastically underestimate the number of employees with disabilities. This significantly impacts the workforce as people with disabilities reported lower levels of inclusion in the workplace relative to their colleagues without disabilities.
Joshin provides a comprehensive support system for disability and neurodivergence inclusion that helps employers have a culture where self-disclosure is welcomed and supported with a robust support program. Through this new employee program, Joshin will support improved accommodations processes, inclusive hiring and interviewing, and employee policies while also providing support to Tyson Foods employees, their families, and their teams through specialized care and navigation, one-on-one live coaching, and neurodivergent- and disability-focused self-service training and resources to help unlock the power of employee belonging. The offering supports a critical need for the Tyson Foods executive team as they sought to prioritize employee needs they heard through their own Business Resource Groups (BRG).
“I was diagnosed with Autism in my mid-twenties, validating so many of the ways I felt, behaved, and worked differently than my peers throughout my life,” said April Foster, sensory scientist and chair of Tyson’s enABLE Business Resource Group. “This new benefit offered through Tyson has opened up several tools, including personalized coaching for a variety of topics, that have empowered me to be myself while being successful at work and in life. With additional support measures like this benefit, a diagnosis that once felt othering is slowly but surely becoming a simple part of everyday life instead of an obstacle to overcome.”
This new partnership with Tyson Foods continues Joshin’s mission of creating trusted workplaces where employees can get the support they need to succeed in their careers and lives.