Schwerin (dpa/mv) - Four new contacts in Stralsund, Schwerin, Neubrandenburg and Rostock are to help companies hire severely disabled people. Work has already begun at three locations, and the position in Rostock should be occupied by April 1st, the responsible Minister for Social Affairs, Stefanie Drese (SPD), announced on Tuesday. The contact persons should therefore approach companies, take away any concerns they may have in connection with the employment of disabled people and draw their attention to funding opportunities.
According to Drese, 4,300 severely disabled people are currently looking for a job in MV, and around 21,000 people with a degree of disability of more than 50 are in work. According to the law, every company with 20 or more employees must also employ disabled people - it should be five percent of the workforce. If the companies do not comply with this obligation, they have to pay a compensatory levy.
Drese regretted that many companies would rather pay the levy than deal with the issue more intensively. "Of a good 3,000 private employers in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with at least 20 employees, over 700 have not hired a single severely disabled person," she said. Companies in MV pay around seven million euros in compensatory levies every year. "I wish there was an empty cash register," said Drese.
