Raising Awareness and Appreciation: Employee Perspectives on Disability Management in Swiss Companies

In Western countries, an increasing number of companies has difficulties with recruiting and retaining employees, along with growing employer responsibilities in the workplace. Therefore, companies’ interest in disability management programs has increased. This article examines employee perspectives of disability management and how it is related to job satisfaction, physical and mental health, workplace morale and sickness absence. Employees from seven Swiss companies (N=482), from the private and public sector, participated in either an online and paper-and-pencil survey for this present study. The survey asked employees to report their views of how disability management is related to job satisfaction, mental health, physical health, workplace morale and absenteeism. The Swiss employees participating in the study knew about disability management and related programs, which are implemented in their company. They valued them as moderately helpful for a variety of factors related to workplace wellbeing, and regarded the programs generally as high quality and wanted them to continue, because they contribute to job satisfaction, mental health, physical health, workplace morale and reduced sickness absence. However, employees also saw more value in disability prevention (DP) and stay at work (SAW) programs than in return to work (RTW) programs. Male employees and those working for public organisations saw more benefit in disability management programs than female employees and those working in the private sector.

Process Theories of Motivation Inside Tour Operations Staff

This case provides a platform for instructors to engage in meaningful dialog with students on the topic of work motivation. Using Vroom’s Expectancy and Adam’s Equity Theory, readers encounter the dynamic relationships of four employees in a Professional Bowlers Association tour setting and examine how individual motivation can be a process that is informed by perceptions employees have. In particular, two characters, Shelley and Andy, begin to slowly experience an erosion of workplace morale and motivation as a function of the deteriorating relationships detailed in the case. Students then use theory to suggest a response that would be appropriate for the supervisor.

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

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.

Employees' Perceptions of the Management of Workplace Stress

The purpose of this study was to explore how employees perceive their organisation's efforts to address the management of stress in their workplaces and to examine differences based on demographic variables of organisational location and size. A convenience sample of 85 people at an international disability management conference completed a Management of Stress in the Workplace Questionnaire. Results of this survey indicated that employees were not positive about their organisations efforts to manage stress in either prevention or rehabilitation activities. Employees from smaller organisations rated their workplace environments more positively than larger organisations. A perceived high incidence of stress in an organisation was negatively related to perceptions about the work environment. Lower perceived levels of stress-related compensation claims were associated with higher ratings of prevention and higher workplace environment ratings. Effective disability management programs need to address a range of individual, organisational and system factors that cause and exacerbate stress injuries. In addition to the provision of a range of prevention and rehabilitation services, it is important that organisations look at ways to improve workplace culture and, by association, job satisfaction and workplace morale.

Measurable 5S System

The 5S system consists of 5 series of activities designed to improve workplace organization and standardization. These five activities begin with the letter S: Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain. The key targets of 5S are to improve workplace morale, safety and efficiency and to reduce cost. In this study, industrial application of measurable 5S in a steel service center is explained. 5S performance index has been defined as a numerical basis for the measurement of 5S success. Numerical results provide objective evaluation. So, by analyzing the result of 5S performance index, improvement areas on 5S can be easily determined. This study indicates that by well-organized 5S program, 5S performance index steadily increases from the start time of 5S activities to 10 weeks after the start time. After 10 weeks, 5S performance index is maintained around desired value 100%.