Severely disabled employees and their experiences with corporate policies concerning job retention. Selected results of an empirical study

Abstract

While the public has been paying attention to the topics illness and disability with respect to public health, long-term care insurance and public old age insurance systems for years, the risk of becoming disabled at work has been considered less. Research in this area has for a long time been focused on questions regarding first-time entry and return to work of disabled persons into the regular labour market. Also, much policy research has tended to deny an active role of the enterprise as an independent player and creator of policy in the management of disability. Hence only little documentation of employers' programmes and strategies as well as analysis concerning the question of job retention is available. In order to cover the research deficit a study with regard to employment careers of severely disabled was conducted in Rhineland-Palatinate from 1997 to 1999. The study pursues two different paths: On the one hand living and working conditions of this group are analysed, on the other the study's purpose is to give an overview of employers' disability management practices from the severely disabled employees' point of view. This article deals with the results of the policies within the enterprise study. It concerns the analysis of the following issues: Does disability have a negative impact on the employees' careers? Which measures are preferred by the persons interviewed and why? The final question, whether the need for supporting measures ascertained may be satisfied by the existing instruments available under the German Severely Disabled Persons Act must be answered with a clear "No"! Employers and disabled employees need alternative measures of support.