Disability in the workplace: Viaposte continues its commitment to lasting inclusion

In France, the employment of people with disabilities remains a major challenge. Companies with at least 20 employees are subject to the obligation to employ disabled workers, known as the OETH, which sets a target of 6% of employees recognised as beneficiaries of this obligation, known as BOETH.

According to Agefiph, the association that manages the fund for the professional inclusion of people with disabilities, the direct employment rate in the private sector stood at 4% in 2025, a slight increase compared with the previous year. 

In this context, companies have an essential role to play in advancing workplace inclusion and removing the barriers still faced by people with disabilities. At Viaposte, this conviction is reflected in a proactive policy that goes beyond simply meeting regulatory requirements. The company is deploying concrete actions to support lasting inclusion. This approach involves the whole organisation: the Executive Committee, Human Resources, Communications, managers, disability advisers and operational teams.

A long-term commitment

At Viaposte, disability has been part of a long-standing commitment for several years, notably through the signing of an agreement with Agefiph.

Throughout the year, Viaposte mobilises its teams around five major priorities:

• Raising awareness and sharing information to help change perceptions;
• Supporting managers and teams in taking disability situations into account;
• Promoting recruitment that is open to all talents;
• Supporting job retention and the adaptation of workstations;
• Coordinating a network of disability advisers as close as possible to the field.

This commitment is particularly important given Viaposte’s activities. Certain logistics, industrial maintenance and transport roles can involve physically demanding tasks. Preventing risks, adapting workstations and supporting career paths are therefore essential challenges to ensure that occupational strain does not lead to lasting disabilities.

Progressing results and a stronger objective for 2026

Between 2024 and 2025, the average rate of BOETH employees, beneficiaries of the obligation to employ disabled workers, at Viaposte rose from 3.84% to 4.78% across the company’s four entities subject to the obligation. This progress confirms the impact of the actions carried out internally.

The objective for 2026 is clear: to continue increasing this rate while consolidating existing initiatives.

To maintain this momentum, Viaposte is also strengthening its actions in inclusive recruitment. This is all the more important as BOETH employees are, on average, ageing, while some of the company’s activities have recently undergone significant recruitment.

To anticipate a potential decline in the employment rate, Viaposte is taking action on several fronts:

• participating in specialised recruitment fairs such as Hello Handicap;
• raising awareness among recruiters;
• rolling out e-learning training to better identify biases that may arise in recruitment processes, and to help employees understand their rights and prepare their RQTH application files.

Focus on disability advisers

To ensure the effective implementation of its commitment to inclusion, Viaposte relies on a group of disability advisers. These 14 employees are volunteers who are aware of and committed to the issue. They are present across different regions and several areas of the company’s activity.

Their role is essential: they act as local points of contact to inform, guide and support employees. They also help identify needs from the field, facilitate dialogue with managers and increase the visibility of the disability mission.

As part of this role, the advisers are responsible for implementing one micro-action per month on their site, chosen from a list of proposals. They also contribute to the creation of practical information sheets for employees, as well as to the development of training modules.

Regular meetings are organised and practical resources are made available to them in order to provide shared reference points.

A 2025 communication campaign structured around four key moments

• February – “Different and competent”: launch of the distribution of round dice to all employees, accompanied by awareness-raising led by each manager;
• April – “Different and understood”: rollout of a poster campaign across all Viaposte sites, with messages illustrating different disabilities and possible workplace adaptations within Viaposte;

• June / July – “Different and high-performing”: organisation of a summer tour across around twenty sites, taking the form of convivial team moments, such as team meals, including disability awareness activities;
• November – “Different and inspiring”: employee testimonials, notably during the fourth edition of L’Émission, Viaposte’s internal programme dedicated to sharing experiences: “1 in 2 French people: disability, what if it were me tomorrow?”

In addition, Viaposte regularly speaks out across its various communication channels. A series of internal mailings has notably been launched to raise awareness among teams about disability-related issues, starting with invisible disabilities and the idea that disability is not a weakness. To reinforce these messages, comic strips raising awareness of different types of disability, created with La Petite Mu, are also included in the mailings. This initiative aims to deconstruct preconceived ideas and encourage concerned employees to declare their disability status.

Partnerships that strengthen Viaposte’s commitment

Viaposte’s commitment to disability is also expressed through partnerships with non-profit organisations. The company has notably supported Station Debout, a centre dedicated to maintaining regular physical activity for people with neurological disabilities.

Viaposte has also committed to supporting a handisport club in the Bordeaux region named SLHB, and more recently a basketball club near Chartres that is opening an adapted section for people with psychological or cognitive disabilities.

Changing perceptions

Building on this commitment and the results achieved, Viaposte is continuing its approach to make disability in the workplace an issue that is fully integrated into its HR and operational practices.

At the same time, an audit is currently being carried out to identify ways to reduce the physical strain of certain roles and to act preventively, limit situations of occupational wear and tear and protect employees over the long term.

In the future, Viaposte aims to move forward with Cap Emploi, particularly in the regions where recruitment needs are highest. Immersive initiatives could be created, leading to job discovery opportunities through facilitated immersion periods lasting two to four weeks.