Marie Jo, a field manager committed to the work of people with disabilities

• Hello Marie-Jo, can you quickly introduce yourself ?

Hello, I am Marie-José BESNARD, Field Manager at SIG for several years. An article was written a few months ago about my career path. Today, in this week for the employment of people with disabilities, it seemed important to me to share my experience on this subject of Disability which is close to my heart.

• What immediately comes to mind when you hear the word "disability"? ?

Disability is a very broad topic and there are different types of disability. First of all, I would like to remind you that in the vast majority of cases, people are not born with a disability, but can become disabled in the course of their lives, for various reasons such as illness, an accident at work, a road accident, etc.

So it's a subject that each of us is likely to be confronted with at some point, either personally or in our close circle. However, I have the feeling that many people are not really aware of it. I am well placed to know this because I am confronted with it in my family. I experience disability on a daily basis and I am therefore all the more aware of it at the professional level.

• What impact has disability had on you? ?

From the moment we are confronted with disability on a daily basis in our personal lives, our outlook, our sensitivity and our personality change. I am convinced that I would not be the woman I am today if I had not been confronted with it directly.

Faced with a disability, you have to look deep inside yourself for the resources and strength you need to cope with it. I think disability has made me different, warmer, more attentive to others, more at ease in "living together". This is something that also comes out of my shared experience with other people affected by disability. What is certain is that it is a daily struggle and that if you do not accept the disability, you will not succeed in coping with it and managing it on a daily basis.

• What do you think about the integration of disabled people in French society in general ?

Today, the situation of people with disabilities has improved considerably. On the one hand, people's perception of disability has really changed: the disability is less scary today It is a subject that needs to be addressed and demystified from school onwards. The more the years go by, the more people with disabilities are integrated into our school and professional world... This is a subject that must be addressed and demystified at school.

On the other hand, legislation is also evolving: there is a real political will today to try to put in place laws in favour of disabled people so that they benefit from the same rights, the same treatment, the same access to a job as a non-disabled person... I am aware of the difficulties that this can represent for companies. But it is an important humanitarian issue, it is a way of thinking that must be built day after day in our society, even if it is sometimes necessary to use a "carrot" such as the disability tax to speed up the hiring of disabled workers.

• Do you feel that you are giving disabled workers a chance ?

Ignoring disability necessarily puts a brake on the employment of disabled workers. However, for my part, given my personal situation, I listen to disability because it affects me. I am a fighter and I look for solutions. For example, in the context of an assignment entrusted to a disabled employee, if he or she cannot do a task and tells me about it, I listen to him or her and try to understand without judging, despite my obligations to the company and our clients.

I am convinced thatintegrating disabled employees into our teams is a real asset. This allows us to get a different feedback from them, another vision of the world of work, of our activity, of our sensitivity. We don't have the same relationship at work with a disabled person as with someone who is not disabled. Their vision of the world also allows us to move forward and to be more tolerant.

• How do you approach the subject of disability with employees in your geographical area? ?

When I hire a new employee in my geographical area, I don't ask the question right away because I think that if the person has applied, he or she is capable of doing the job. I trust the person.

Then, when I go out into the field and meet employees and I realise that the person has a disability, I tell them about it. I am a direct and open person and my teams know it. On the other hand, if it's not obvious, I very rarely ask the question. In any case, I approach the subject with tact because the idea is not to make the person in front of me suspicious or question his or her work.

Of course, it also happens that the person tells me about it on their own, either at the beginning or when a climate of trust is created over time. For me, it is important to communicate with their teams, to listen, to understand the difficulties of each person, to seek solutions, to raise awareness. The fact that I am confronted with disability makes me different, I am not shy about it and I am open, so the discussion comes very naturally. I think that when employees talk to me about it themselves, it's a real sign of confidence in me.

• What is your feedback on the missions of disabled workers ?

I have often noticed that despite their limitations, whatever they may be, disabled workers are very often combative, persevering, creative, strong people who always work harder to hide their disability. They are always questioning themselves: am I capable? am I up to it? am I working properly? They put a lot of pressure on themselves to do things perfectly. We have to protect them because they are still vulnerable, but we must not feel sorry for them, because that is not what they want. The employer gives disabled employees a chance, and then it is up to them to prove to us that they can do it. It's a win-win situation.

• How do you think disability is perceived at SIG ?

At SIG, there is a real and sincere awareness on the subject of disability at company level. Companies change, often due to legislation, but this is something that many GIS employees really care about. We are attentive, caring and open-minded. This is reflected in the feedback we get from disabled employees.

You should therefore not hesitate to continue to contact the referents on the subject:

• Flora LESUEUR, intermittent employee with a disability - 06 16 70 48 72 - (in French) fl**********@gm***.com
• Anne-Laure FURON, Company Lawyer - 01 34 58 56 81 - France an**************@si*******.com
• Field managers and assignment managers.

• If you had one last thing to say about disability, what would it be? ?

For employees who do not dare to talk about it, I strongly advise them to do so. Sharing it with others is a first step towards acceptance. Being disabled is not something to be ashamed of. You have to be ready to put it aside in order to be able to enter into a "normal" relationship with others. You should therefore not hesitate to open up, to confide in others, nor be afraid. The The work of a person, whether disabled or not, is primarily based on their skills. Transparency and dialogue are the key words for me.

Finally, today, we must all feel concerned and mobilise to promote the employment of disabled workers. If tomorrow you find yourself in this situation, it will be difficult to accept it, but knowing that society is helping you and supporting you will nevertheless make it easier to overcome certain difficulties. I am convinced that if we all really and sincerely care, the situation of disabled people can only improve. Today it is better than it was yesterday, but it could be even better tomorrow.