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Raising Awareness and Appreciation: Employee Perspectives on Disability Management in Swiss Companies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 May 2019

Thomas Geisen Open the ORCID record for Thomas Geisen [Opens in a new window] ,
Benedikt Hassler ,
Shannon Wagner ,
Nicholas Buys ,
Christine Randall ,
Henry Harder ,
Alex Fraess-Phillips Open the ORCID record for Alex Fraess-Phillips [Opens in a new window] ,
Ignatius TS Yu ,
Caroline Howe  and
Liz Scott
Thomas Geisen*
Affiliation:
School of Social Work, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Riggenbachstrasse 16, 4600 Olten, Switzerland
Benedikt Hassler
Affiliation:
School of Social Work, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Riggenbachstrasse 16, 4600 Olten, Switzerland
Shannon Wagner
Affiliation:
School of Health Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
Nicholas Buys
Affiliation:
Griffith Health Centre, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University, QLD 4222, Australia
Christine Randall
Affiliation:
School of Allied Health Sciences, Health Group, Gold Coast campus, Griffith University, QLD4222, Australia
Henry Harder
Affiliation:
School of Health Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
Alex Fraess-Phillips
Affiliation:
School of Health Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
Ignatius TS Yu
Affiliation:
Hong Kong Occupational & Environmental Health Academy, Beverley Commercial Centre, 87-105 Chatham Road South, Tsimshatsui, Hong Kong
Caroline Howe
Affiliation:
Griffith Health Centre, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University, QLD 4222, Australia
Liz Scott
Affiliation:
Organizational Solutions Inc., 2186 Mountiangrove Ave #253, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
*
Address for correspondence: Thomas Geisen, Professor of Workplace-Integration and Disability Management, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, School of Social Work, Institute for Integration and Participation Riggenbachstrasse 16, CH-4600 Olten. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

In Western countries, an increasing number of companies has difficulties with recruiting and retaining employees, along with growing employer responsibilities in the workplace. Therefore, companies’ interest in disability management programs has increased. This article examines employee perspectives of disability management and how it is related to job satisfaction, physical and mental health, workplace morale and sickness absence. Employees from seven Swiss companies (N=482), from the private and public sector, participated in either an online and paper-and-pencil survey for this present study. The survey asked employees to report their views of how disability management is related to job satisfaction, mental health, physical health, workplace morale and absenteeism. The Swiss employees participating in the study knew about disability management and related programs, which are implemented in their company. They valued them as moderately helpful for a variety of factors related to workplace wellbeing, and regarded the programs generally as high quality and wanted them to continue, because they contribute to job satisfaction, mental health, physical health, workplace morale and reduced sickness absence. However, employees also saw more value in disability prevention (DP) and stay at work (SAW) programs than in return to work (RTW) programs. Male employees and those working for public organisations saw more benefit in disability management programs than female employees and those working in the private sector.

Keywords

disability managementSwitzerlandcompaniesemployeeshealth
Type
Article
Information
International Journal of Disability Management , Volume 14 , 2019 , e1
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2019 

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