On-the-Job Treatment of Employees With Disabilities: A Grounded Theory Investigation

Abstract

Workplace mistreatment is common for workers with and without disabilities. Overt forms of mistreatment in the workplace (e.g., abuse, bullying, harassment) have been well studied; however, less is known about more subtle forms of workplace mistreatment for employees with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to examine how workers with disabilities are treated on the job, the types of mistreatment present in the workplace, the consequences involved (if any), the courses of action taken (if any), and workers’ satisfaction with the outcomes of actions taken. We used a grounded theory approach to learn from 26 employees with disabilities about their experiences with workplace treatment. Primary themes that emerged from the data were (a) the emotional toll of being mistreated on the job; (b) attempting to “grin and bear it,” as one participant described it, to avoid mistreatment; (c) a desire to feel a sense of belongingness at the workplace; and (d) the intersection of disability characteristics, individual characteristics, and work environment characteristics that influences how people with disabilities are treated on the job. Implications are presented for understanding the role that rehabilitation counselors play in helping workers and employers to respond to mistreatment of employees with disabilities.

Desafios da interação social da pessoa com autismo no mercado de trabalho

“…El trabajo es considerado una actividad fundamental en la vida de la mayoría de las personas, no solo como representación de la independencia y autonomía, sino sobre todo por su efecto integrador en la sociedad, por propiciar la interacción con otras personas y, principalmente, por ser el medio que le permite al individuo sentirse perteneciente a un grupo (Morse & Weiss, 1955). Para las personas con cualquier tipo de discapacidad, ingresar al mercado laboral y, en consecuencia, realizar esta necesidad inherente al ser humano se vuelve mucho más difícil, ya que esta población tiene más dificultades para conseguir un trabajo (Bezyak et al, 2021), es excluida y/o agredida en el lugar de trabajo de forma más pronunciada y emocionalmente devastadora (Koch et al, 2021), y muchas veces recibe menor remuneración, incluso cumpliendo la misma función y con los mismos índices de productividad (Kruse et al, 2018).…”

The influencing factors of personality that affect entrepreneurship development among people with disabilities

“…People with disabilities (PWDs) encompass individuals experiencing persistent corporeal, psychological, cognitive or sensory malfunctions which could hamper personal comprehensive and identical interactions with societal members owing to various disability obstacles. Correspondingly, disabilities produce significant negative social and economic effects on the disabled population, related families and respective communities (Koch et al , 2022). The PWDs encounter quotidian challenges of social discrimination and prejudice due to their apparent differences as perceived by the general population, thus, hindering their active societal involvement (Marques et al , 2022; Millán Jiménez and García Escribano, 2019).…”

The Personal and Job-Related Outcomes of Workplace Mistreatment Among Young Adults with Disabilities

“…Although all employees (those with disabilities and those without) can be targets of workplace mistreatment (Koch et al, 2021), research suggests people with disabilities experience more than their counterparts without disabilities. Fevre et al (2013) argue that people with disabilities or long term-illnesses experience more ill-treatment at work than their counterparts without impairments, when considering 21 different manifestations of workplace mistreatment.…”

“…Overt workplace discrimination, estimated by Snyder (2010) to be experienced by approximately 17% to 33% of people with disabilities, can be seen in unfair promotion opportunities, unequal pay, and lack of trust leading to less responsibility. Another example of overt workplace mistreatment experienced by people with disabilities is having job accommodations requests denied, despite laws meant to prevent this from occurring (Koch et al, 2021). Furthermore, supervisors constantly hovering over and examining the work of a person with a disability because of doubt or skepticism, represents a common example of subtle mistreatment (Koch et al, 2021).…”

“…Another example of overt workplace mistreatment experienced by people with disabilities is having job accommodations requests denied, despite laws meant to prevent this from occurring (Koch et al, 2021). Furthermore, supervisors constantly hovering over and examining the work of a person with a disability because of doubt or skepticism, represents a common example of subtle mistreatment (Koch et al, 2021).…”