Do Gender and Chronic or Episodic Disability Type Moderate the Relationship Between Support Availability, Perceived...

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Disability Studies
• Workplace Psychology

Background:

• Absenteeism and presenteeism in workers with chronic conditions are studied, but broader job disruptions remain less understood.
• The influence of gender, disability type, and workplace support on job disruptions requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine job disruptions in employed Canadians with chronic/episodic conditions.
• To analyze associations between support availability, disclosure support, and job disruptions.
• To determine if gender and disability type moderate these relationships.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional survey of 730 employed Canadians with chronic/episodic conditions causing work limitations.
• Analysis of relationships between support, disclosure perception, and six job disruption types.
• Chi-square tests and logistic regression, with gender and disability type as moderators.

Main Results:

• Short-term disruptions were common, particularly for those with combined physical and mental/cognitive conditions.
• Higher support availability correlated with fewer long-term disruptions but more missed meetings.
• Negative perceptions of disclosure support increased long-term disruption odds; low support worsened disparities between disability types. Gender did not moderate findings.

Conclusions:

• Workplace support and positive disclosure environments are key to mitigating long-term job disruptions.
• Tailored support for complex disabilities and improved disclosure perceptions are vital for sustained work participation.