Canadian Centre on Disability Studies: Research Outcomes
Literature Review of Canadian and International Sources
March 2009 – August 2009
Background
People with disabilities have made great
progress in labour participation in Canada during the economic growth of the
late nineties and early 2000’s. However,
they continue to have higher rates of unemployment and lower average incomes. Many exogenous economic circumstances impact
job retention and career progression for people with disabilities. For example, certain industries and
occupations have higher turnover rates, lower job retention, and less
opportunity for career mobility.
Unfortunately, more people with disabilities tend to be clustered in
low-paid, non-skilled employment sectors than those without disabilities. Coincidental with these traits are lower
average periods at a job and/or slower rates of career progression.
Introduction
The impetus for this work beginning
March 2009 was Human Resources and Skills Development Canada’s (HRSDC) Request
for Proposals entitled “Literature review and conceptual paper on measuring
inter-relationships between disability and job retention, career progress”.
The final product is a document outlining
the relevant literature and to propose a framework and methodology to better
understand the inter-relationships between disability and job retention/career
progression. This work supplements the
very small amount of research that has been done that focuses on the career
paths of persons with disabilities.
Project Methodology/ Activities
The methodology included a combination
of thematic review and Meta-Analysis of the literature. Several electronic databases were reviewed,
including CBCA Business, Sage Journal Online, Taylor & Francis Journals
Online, Academic Search Elite, Gladnet, and EBSCO Host. A manual search of the following journals
based on our knowledge of the literature and anticipated sources of research in
this field included Disability & Society, Disability Studies Quarterly, and
Review of Disability Studies Journal. In
addition, the research conducted through the following community-based research
organizations was reviewed: Canadian
Centre on Disability Studies, National Institute on Disability Management and
Research, and Roeher Institute.
Scholarly papers including any
combination of the following key words within their titles or abstracts will be
reviewed: disability, handicap, illness,
impairment, and employment, job retention, career advancement, career
progression, promotion, employee turnover.
Results
The literature documents that several
socio-demographic characteristics that impact job retention and career
progression. For example, age, gender,
marital status and level of education are clearly indicated as important
factors for all Canadians, both with and without disabilities. Important issues for those with disabilities
include type of impairment, severity of disability (with the most severe less
able to retain employment and achieve career progression), and the point of
onset (resulting in different employment outcomes for those with congenital vs.
acquired disabilities, those who experience sudden onset vs. those whose
disability manifests over time).
Another key theme that emerged from the
literature included characteristics of the workplace itself as an indicator of
job retention and career progression.
For example, larger organizations are more likely to demonstrate better
employment results for people with disabilities. Issues of “corporate culture”,
employer/co-worker attitudes, and discrimination/harassment are all indicated
as important factors related to job retention and career progression. Generally speaking, an organization requiring
long periods of overtime and/or short notice or non-flexible work arrangements
lead to barriers for people with disabilities.
The importance of approachable and understanding employers and
co-workers can not be overstated, as this impacts the ability of an employee
with disabilities to ask for job-related accommodations.
The final theme that emerged in the
literature was that of the individual and employment. This included such issues as an employee’s
commitment and job satisfaction to the organization as a predictor of job
retention, as well as an individual’s perception of their own abilities to
perform well and belong in the workplace.
Conclusions
Job retention and turnover rates are a
focus of much research, the general consensus being that “Staff turnover is
costly; it reduces the effectiveness and productivity of an organization ...
(Saratoga Institute & Kepner-Trogoe 1999, HayGroup 2001),” quoted in
Ellenbecker (2004) p.303. Therefore,
much of the focus in the literature has been on determining what causes turnover
and how to stall it. Job retention is a
key factor for employers, who “...recognized that it was in their own interests
to keep disabled workers in their employment, to demonstrate social
responsibility, out of loyalty to their employees, to reduce insurance costs
and loss of productivity, and to avoid losing valued workers.” (Vocational Rehabilitation Branch 1998)
People with disabilities have made great
progress in labour participation in Canada during the economic growth of the
late nineties and early 2000’s. However,
they continue to have higher rates of unemployment, lower incomes on average,
and to be clustered in low-paid, non-skilled employment sectors than those
without disabilities. Coincidental with
these traits are lower average periods at a job and/or slower rates of career
progression.
There is a need to examine the
relationships between labour market dynamics and job retention/career
progression for people with disability.
For example, during the boom leading up to the recent economic downturns
was a time of unprecedented growth in the proportion of working-age people with
disabilities working, how long they were able to stay at work and the ability
of many to progress to professional and semi-professional high paying
employment. Future research will be
needed to determine if new employment opportunities available to people with
disabilities reflects a systemic change in the way they are perceived as
potential employees, or if they were
being called upon because of labour shortages-- if they were indeed part of a
‘reserve labour force’. If the latter is
the case, people with disabilities may disproportionately be cast out of
employment as the economy shrinks.
Other questions remain unanswered as
well. For example, what have been the
influences of policy (Employment Equity, Human Rights Legislation, focus of
‘return to work’ within income support programs) and new human resources
practices (Disability Management) on job retention and career progression? Is there a place within current or potential
Employment Equity Legislation for job retention and career progression? How would measuring/evaluating these
influence behaviour within organizations, and thus should these measurements be
integral to Employment Equity strategies?
What other Legislation could positively impact job retention and career
progression? Is there a difference
between the personality factors that influence job retention/career progression
of people with disabilities as opposed to those without disabilities? Are those people who acquire disabilities at
an advanced age choosing retirement or being forced into early retirement?
This literature review has opened the
door to more questions and possible research on the topic of job retention and
career progression for people with disabilities in the future.
For more information visit CCDS’ website
at: www.disabilitystudies.ca
Project Team
Janalee Morris-Wales
Laura Rempel
Funder
Social Research
Division (SRD) of the Policy Research Directorate (PRD) of Human Resources and
Skills Development Canada (HRSDC)
Disclaimer
The views expressed
in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the
views of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada or of the Federal
government.
CANADIAN CENTRE ON DISABILITY STUDIES
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