Employer-focused interventions targeting disability employment: A systematic review

There are a wide range of interventions that are designed to influence employer behaviour with respect to the employment of people with disabilities. This study presents the results of a systematic review looking at employer-focused interventions to improve disability employment, focusing on interventions or policies taking placing in high-income countries as per the OECD. This systematic review focuses on a broad range of potential employment-related outcomes, including the employment rate, time to return to work and length of sickness absence. The results of 71 papers that evaluate the effectiveness of a range of interventions were synthesised into a narrative review. Interventions are grouped into six broad categories: anti-discrimination legislation, quota systems, part-time sick leave, graded return to work and wage subsidy schemes. Anti-discrimination legislation is not effective at improving the employment prospects of people with disabilities. There is mixed evidence with respect to quota systems and wage subsidy schemes. However, the availability of part time sick leave or graded return to work are both consistently associated with improved work participation for people with disabilities.