[Do Others Care about me and Encourage me to be Myself? A Propensity-Score Analysis on the Effect of Chronic Health Impairments on Work-Related Perceived Inclusion].

Abstract

Purpose: Our study evaluated the effect of chronic health impairments on work-related perceived inclusion.

Methods: Using an online questionnaire, we collected data on employees' perceived inclusion (1807 with and 540 without impairments) and identified matched pairs based on propensity scores.

Results: Employees with impairments perceived themselves as less included than their matched pairs without impairments, but only if they regarded themselves as severely limited in their work activities or if they regarded their impairment as severely stigmatized. Limitations and stigmata were found to be independent negative predictors of perceived inclusion.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest a need for measures to improve the work-related perceived inclusion of people with chronic health impairments. Such measures should aim at optimising workplace accommodations as well as changing performance-related social norms in organisations and stereotypical assumptions about employees with chronic health impairments.