EAF provides workers with a disability with funding for any workplace modifications, equipment or services required for them to perform their job.
Employment Assistance Fund (EAF)
The Employment Assistance Fund (EAF) gives financial help to eligible people with disability and mental health condition and employers to buy work related modifications and services. The EAF is available to people with disability who are about to start a job or who are currently working, as well as people who need help to find and prepare for a job. It is also available to people with disability who are self-employed, and jobseekers who need Auslan assistance, or special work equipment to look for and prepare for a job.
Objectives
The objective of the Employment Assistance Fund (EAF) is to encourage and support the Employment of people with disability, improve their access to work opportunities, and maximise their capacity and workplace independence.
Employers have obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) to make reasonable adjustments in work arrangements for their employees with disability, to ensure they have equal opportunities in the workplace. The Employment Assistance Fund (EAF) provides assistance to Employers to help meet the cost of Modifications their Employee with disability may require to do their job.
Funding
A free workplace assessment through the EAF is available to help work out what modifications will best meet your needs and help you do your job. This is called a Workplace Modification Assessment. The assessment is done by a qualified professional. The assessment will look at your workplace and any barriers that you might have and will look at your job and workplace to identify any equipment or modifications that would work for you and your workplace. The Assessor will recommend any equipment or modifications from the assessment and liaise with you and your employer to find and access solutions to make your workplace more flexible and accessible.
You usually need to have an assessment if the assistance being purchased for you is over $1,000. JobAccess may waive your need for an assessment, for example, if your EAF application is submitted by a Government Employment Service provider like a Disability Employment Services (DES), and items cost less than $10,000.
Eligible Activities
The EAF could help to buy work related modifications and services like:
- the cost of making adjustments to your physical workplace
- modifications to work vehicles
- special equipment for the workplace
- information and communication devices
- Auslan interpreting
- specialist services for employees with specific learning disorders and mental health conditions
- disability awareness training
- deafness awareness training
- mental health first aid training.
Eligible Applicants
An Employment Assistance Fund (EAF) Application can be submitted by:
- an Employer of a person with disability;
- an Employee with disability;
- a Self-employed Worker with disability;
- a job seeker who requires Auslan Level 2 assistance or who requires work related assistive technology or special work equipment to look for and prepare for a job; or
- a Disability Employment Services Provider, Job Services Australia Provider, or a Remote Jobs and Communities Programme Provider on behalf of their Participant or Participant’s Employer.
A person may also apply for Employment Assistance Fund (EAF) assistance on behalf of someone with disability as their nominee. In this instance the nominee must:
- have written permission from the person with disability to submit the EAF Application;
- inform the person with disability and their Employer about the EAF process, terms and conditions, and keep them updated as to progress of their EAF Application; and
- complete the information on the Nominee tab contained in the online EAF Application.
Timing
Applications open on an ongoing basis.
