Engaging chronically ill employees at work: the relationship between bundles of HR practices, perceived illness discrimination and work engagement

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to examine the role that four distinct bundles (developmental, utilisation, maintenance and accommodative) of HRM practices play in enhancing work engagement among chronically ill employees, and to analyse whether perceptions of discrimination on the grounds of illness can affect these relationships.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected through a quantitative survey using a sample of 669 chronically ill employees of a major Italian company.FindingsThis study's findings confirm the importance of discerning between positive, insignificant and negative effects of distinct HR bundles on chronically ill employees' work engagement. Furthermore, this study's results suggest that the positive effect of utilisation practices (i.e. practices aimed at enabling employees to make full use of existing, but not yet necessarily utilised, individual resources) on engagement is greater when chronically ill employees perceive a discrimination-free work environment.Research limitations/implicationsThis study's findings confirm the importance of discerning between positive, no, and negative effects of distinct HR bundles on chronically ill employees' work engagement. Furthermore, this study's results suggest that the positive effect of utilisation practices (i.e. practices aimed at enabling employees to make full use of existing but not necessarily applied individual resources) on engagement is greater when chronically ill employees perceive a discrimination-free work environment.Originality/valueThe study highlights those HR bundles that have the capacity to positively affect the work engagement of chronically ill employees, a minority group rarely considered in HRM studies. Furthermore, the research identifies perceived discrimination on the grounds of illness as a contextual condition that may hinder the otherwise positive effect of HRM practices on the engagement of workers suffering from a chronic illness.

How Is Job Performance Affected by Ergonomics in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry? Mediating Roles of Work Engagement and Talent Retention

“…Work engagement itself can serve as a motivating factor for employees to prioritize and adhere to ergonomic practices. Engaged employees are more likely to actively seek out ergonomic adjustments to further enhance their work environment, thus reinforcing the positive connection between ergonomics and engagement [59,72,73]. Furthermore, ergonomics enhances the level of work engagement [74].…”

Editorial: The role of social dialogue in return to work after chronic conditions

“…The final two papers focus on supporting workers with chronic illness at the company levelwith a specific focus on HR as a key actor and HR practices. "Engaging chronically ill employees at work: The relationship between bundles of HR practices, perceived illness discrimination and work engagement" by Innocenti et al (2024) aims to examine the role that four distinct bundles (developmental, utilisation, maintenance and accommodative) of HRM practices play in enhancing work engagement amongst chronically ill employees. Drawing on a sample of 669 chronically ill employees in Italy, the paper finds both the utilisation and developmental HR bundles have a positive influence on work engagement.…”