DOL, CVS Caremark form Workers with Disabilities Alliance
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and CVS Caremark yesterday established an alliance to encourage and promote the employment of people with disabilities through training and education, outreach and communication, technical assistance, and other efforts.
"This alliance will mutually benefit CVS Caremark, the company’s workforce and customers, the Labor Department's Office of Disability Employment Policy and the general public," said Karen M. Czarnecki, acting assistant secretary of labor for ODEP. "Hiring, retaining, and advancing employees with disabilities is just good business. ODEP and CVS Caremark will share information, guidance, and resources that will help to develop model programs for other employers, particularly in the retail and pharmacy services industries."
CVS Caremark is headquartered in Woonsocket, R.I., employs about 190,000 people and has 6,200 retail and specialty pharmacies, 11 mail service pharmacies, and 14 call center locations nationwide.
Through the two-year alliance, ODEP and CVS Caremark jointly will distribute training and education materials to, as well as share effective disability employment practices with, the company's human resources leaders. They will also collaborate to identify technical assistance resources in providing workplace accommodations and disseminate information in a variety of ways to promote a national dialogue on disability employment issues. An implementation team representing both organizations will develop a plan of action.
The alliance agreement was signed this by Czarnecki and Steve Wing, director of government programs for CVS Caremark, at DOL's headquarters in Washington, D.C. ODEP's alliance initiative is open to both public and private sector organizations that would like to work with the agency to enhance the recruitment, hiring, employment, and advancement of people with disabilities. An alliance directive available at www.dol.gov/odep.