Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-sxzjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-18T11:11:52.062Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Australian Employee Perspectives on Disability Management in Relation to Job Satisfaction, Physical and Mental Health, Workplace Morale and Reduced Sickness Absence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 October 2016

Nicholas Buys ,
Shannon Wagner ,
Christine Randall ,
Ignatius Yu ,
Thomas Geisen ,
Henry Harder ,
Alex Fraess-Phillips Open the ORCID record for Alex Fraess-Phillips [Opens in a new window] ,
Benedikt Hassler  and
Caroline Howe
Nicholas Buys*
Affiliation:
School of Allied Health Sciences, Griffith University, Australia
Shannon Wagner
Affiliation:
School of Health Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia, Canada
Christine Randall
Affiliation:
School of Allied Health Sciences, Griffith University, Australia
Ignatius Yu
Affiliation:
Hong Kong Occupational and Environmental Health Academy, Hong Kong
Thomas Geisen
Affiliation:
School of Social Work, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Switzerland
Henry Harder
Affiliation:
School of Health Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia, Canada
Alex Fraess-Phillips
Affiliation:
School of Health Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia, Canada
Benedikt Hassler
Affiliation:
School of Social Work, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Switzerland
Caroline Howe
Affiliation:
School of Allied Health Sciences, Griffith University, Australia
*
Address for correspondence: Nicholas J. Buys, Professor and Dean, Learning and Teaching (Health), G40_8.68, Griffith Health Centre, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University, QLD 4222, Australia. E-mail: n.buys@griffith.edu.au
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Disability management is now recognised as an effective means of managing the increasing global costs of injury and disability. However, research on disability management particularly employee perceptions of its value, are sparse. This paper reports on the Australian findings of a large international project that included Canada, China, Switzerland and Australia, which examined employee perspectives of disability management related to job satisfaction, physical and mental health, workplace morale and reduced sickness absence. Data was collected from 365 employees in 10 large private and public companies using an online survey tool that focused on three components of a disability management program — disability prevention (DP), stay at work (SAW) and return to work (RTW) programs — in relation to the dependent variables of job satisfaction, physical and mental health, workplace morale, sickness absence. Multivariate regression was used to predict disability management's influence on the dependent variables. Results demonstrated positive perceptions regarding the perceived benefits of disability management to both individual employees and their perceptions of coworkers. It was apparent that each component of a disability management program (DP, SAW, and RTW) is positively related to job satisfaction, physical and mental health, workplace morale and reduced sickness absence Disability management programs were perceived as more beneficial in private, as opposed to public, workplaces; however, no differences were evident according to union status or gender of the respondent. It is possible disability management may impact on organisational productivity via variables associated with workplace culture, as well as through the direct benefits flowing from preventing and managing injury. Given the significant costs associated with absenteeism, an outcome of interest to many employers was the finding that employees perceived SAW programs as the most beneficial in terms of reducing absenteeism for both themselves and their coworkers.

Type
Articles
Information
International Journal of Disability Management , Volume 11 , 2016 , e2
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Amick, B.C., Habeck, R.V., Hunt, A., Fossel, A.H., Chapin, A., Keller, R.B., & Katz, J.N. (2000). Measuring the impact of organizational behaviors on work disability prevention and management. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 10 (1), 21–38.Google Scholar
Bohatko-Naismith, J., James, C., Guest, M., & Rivett, D.A. (2015). The role of the Australian workplace return to work coordinator: Essential qualities and attributes. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 25 (1), 65–73. doi:10.1007/s10926-014-9527-4 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Buys, N., Matthews, L.R., & Randall, C. (2010). Employees’ perceptions of the management of workplace stress. The International Journal of Disability Management Research, 5 (2), 25–31.Google Scholar
Buys, N., & Randall, C. (2009). Disability management: A global response to disability in the workplace. In Marshall, C.A., Kendall, E., Banks, M.E., & Gover, R.M.S. (Eds.). Disabilities: Insights from across fields and around the world, Volume 3, Responses: Practice, legal and political frameworks. (pp. 129–144). Westport, CT: Praeger.Google Scholar
Cartwright, S., & Cooper, C. (2011). Innovations in stress and health. Retrieved from http://www.palgraveconnect.com/pc/doifinder/10.1057/9780230321007.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Direct Health Solutions. (2016). 2013 Absence management survey summary. Retrieved from http://www.dhs.net.au/insight/2013-absence-management-survey-summary/ Google Scholar
Esping-Anderson, G. (1990). The three worlds of welfare capitalism. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Fenna, A., & Tapper, A. (2012). The Australian welfare state and the neoliberalism thesis. Australian Journal of Political Science, 47 (2). 155–172.Google Scholar
Geisen, T., & Harder, H. (2011). Disability management and workplace integration: International research findings. London, England: Gower.Google Scholar
LifebyDesign. (2007). Research & statistics. Available from www.lifebydesign.com.au Google Scholar
Mendes, P. (2009). Retrenching or renovating the Australian welfare state: The paradox of the Howard government's neo-liberalism. International Journal of Social Welfare, 18, 102–110.Google Scholar
PwC (2016). The rising cost of absence. Retrieved from http://www.pwc.co.uk/services/human-resource-services/insights/the-rising-cost-of-absence-sick-bills-cost-uk-businesses-29bn-a-year.html.Google Scholar
Randall, C., Buys, N.J., & Kendall, E. (2006). Developing an occupational rehabilitation system for workplace stress. International Journal of Disability Management Research, 1, 64–73.Google Scholar
Ritchie, M. (2000). Organizational culture: An examination of its effect on the internalization process and member performance. Southern Business Review, 25, 1–13.Google Scholar
Roberts-Yates, D.C. (2006). Employers’ perceptions of claims/injury management and rehabilitation in South Australia. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 44 (1), 102–122.Google Scholar
Safe Work Australia (2014). Australian workers’ compensation statistics, 2012–13. Canberra, ACT: Author.Google Scholar
Safe Work Australia (2015). The cost of work-related injury and illness for Australian employers, workers and the community: 2012–13. Canberra, ACT: Author.Google Scholar
The Fiscal Times (January 10, 2013). The high cost of taking a sick day.Google Scholar
Tompa, E., de Oliveira, C., Dolinschi, R., & Irvin, E. (2008). A systematic review of disability management interventions with economic evaluations. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 18 (1), 16–26. doi:10.1007/s10926-007-9116-x.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Uddin, M.J., Luva, R.H., & Hossian, S.M.M. (2013). Impact of organizational culture on employee performance and productivity: A case study of telecommunication sector in Bangladesh. International Journal of Business and Management, 8 (2), 63–77.Google Scholar
Westmorland, M.G., & Buys, N.J. (2004). A comparison of disability management practices in Australian and Canadian workplaces. Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment and Rehabilitation, 23 (1), 31–42.Google Scholar
Westmorland, M., Buys, N.J., & Clements, N. (2002). Disability management in a sample of Australian self-insured companies. Disability and Rehabilitation, 24 (14), 746–754.Google Scholar