"I Noticed That when I Have a Good Supervisor, It Can Make a Lot of Difference." A Qualitative Study on Guidance of Employees with a Work Disability to Improve Sustainable Employability

Overview

Journal J Occup Rehabil

Publisher Springer

Specialties Occupational Medicine
Rehabilitation Medicine

Date 2022 Sep 6

PMID 36066669

Authors

R Schaap

V A Stevels

M S de Wolff

A Hazelzet

J R Anema

P Coenen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: For employees with a work disability adequate daily guidance from supervisors is key for sustainable employability. Supervisors often lack expertise to guide this group of employees. Mentorwijs (literal translation: Mentorwise) is a training for supervisors to improve the guidance of employees with a work disability. The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of employees with a work disability regarding: (1) the guidance from their supervisors (who followed the Mentorwijs training), (2) which differences they notice in the guidance due to the Mentorwijs training, and (3) what kind of aspects they consider important in their guidance to achieve sustainable employability.

Methods: A qualitative study was performed with semi-structured (group) interviews among twenty-one employees with a work disability. Thematic analysis was performed to analyze the data.

Results: Themes that followed from the interviews were: (1) work tasks and conditions can facilitate or hinder sustainable employability: (2) relationships among employees and with supervisors can affect sustainable employability; (3) a desire for new opportunities and challenges; and (4) a need for supervisor skills to facilitate sustainable employability, i.e. appreciation, availability of help, dealing with problems, listening, attitude and communication. According to employees, changes were mainly noticed in supervisor skills.

Conclusions: Employees with a work disability were very satisfied with the guidance of supervisors who followed the Mentorwijs training. To improve sustainable employability, training of supervisors should focus more on adequate work conditions, providing employees opportunities to learn new work tasks and improving supervisors' skills regarding appreciation, attitude and communication.

Citing Articles

Salutogenic mechanisms in nature-based work: fostering sense of coherence for employees with limited capability for work.

Hiemstra S, Naaldenberg J, de Jonge A, Vaandrager L Health Promot Int. 2024; 39(5).

PMID: 39382387 PMC: 11462607. DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daae127.

References

Strindlund L, Abrandt-Dahlgren M, Stahl C . Employers' views on disability, employability, and labor market inclusion: a phenomenographic study. Disabil Rehabil. 2018; 41(24):2910-2917. DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2018.1481150. View

Hazelzet E, Picco E, Houkes I, Bosma H, de Rijk A . Effectiveness of Interventions to Promote Sustainable Employability: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019; 16(11). PMC: 6604015. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16111985. View

van Beukering I, Smits S, Janssens K, Bogaers R, Joosen M, Bakker M . In What Ways Does Health Related Stigma Affect Sustainable Employment and Well-Being at Work? A Systematic Review. J Occup Rehabil. 2021; 32(3):365-379. PMC: 9576674. DOI: 10.1007/s10926-021-09998-z. View

Hazelzet E, Houkes I, Bosma H, de Rijk A . Using intervention mapping to develop 'Healthy HR' aimed at improving sustainable employability of low-educated employees. BMC Public Health. 2021; 21(1):1259. PMC: 8240435. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11278-7. View

Akkerman A, Janssen C, Kef S, Meininger H . Perspectives of employees with intellectual disabilities on themes relevant to their job satisfaction. an explorative study using photovoice. J Appl Res Intellect Disabil. 2014; 27(6):542-54. DOI: 10.1111/jar.12092. View

Urtasun A, Nunez I . Healthy working days: The (positive) effect of work effort on occupational health from a human capital approach. Soc Sci Med. 2018; 202:79-88. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.02.028. View

Wanberg C . The individual experience of unemployment. Annu Rev Psychol. 2011; 63:369-96. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100500. View

Schreuder J, Groothoff J, Jongsma D, van Zweeden N, van der Klink J, Roelen C . Leadership effectiveness: a supervisor's approach to manage return to work. J Occup Rehabil. 2012; 23(3):428-37. DOI: 10.1007/s10926-012-9409-6. View

van Ooijen R, Koning P, Boot C, Brouwer S . The contribution of employer characteristics to continued employment of employees with residual work capacity: evidence from register data in The Netherlands. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2021; 47(6):435-445. PMC: 8504544. DOI: 10.5271/sjweh.3961. View

10.

Kocman A, Weber G . Job Satisfaction, Quality of Work Life and Work Motivation in Employees with Intellectual Disability: A Systematic Review. J Appl Res Intellect Disabil. 2016; 31(1):1-22. DOI: 10.1111/jar.12319. View

11.

van der Klink J, Bultmann U, Burdorf A, Schaufeli W, Zijlstra F, Abma F . Sustainable employability--definition, conceptualization, and implications: A perspective based on the capability approach. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2015; 42(1):71-9. DOI: 10.5271/sjweh.3531. View

12.

Tong A, Sainsbury P, Craig J . Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): a 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups. Int J Qual Health Care. 2007; 19(6):349-57. DOI: 10.1093/intqhc/mzm042. View

13.

Khayatzadeh-Mahani A, Wittevrongel K, Nicholas D, Zwicker J . Prioritizing barriers and solutions to improve employment for persons with developmental disabilities. Disabil Rehabil. 2019; 42(19):2696-2706. DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2019.1570356. View