Rebecca Purc-Stephenson
University of Alberta, Canada
Title: To tell or not to tell: The role of employer practices and organizational culture in employees’ decision to disclose a disability
Biography
Biography: Rebecca Purc-Stephenson
Abstract
Disclosing a disability to an employer is usually necessary to receive workplace accommodations. However, many employees consider disclosure a risky action that could result in lowered supervisor expectations, fewer
promotional opportunities, segregation from co-workers, and increased likelihood of termination. Much of the existing research exploring the reasons for disclosure focus on employee characteristics and/or their relationship
with their supervisor. Recent research shows that several employer practices, ranging from having accessible physical environments to including a message of disability inclusiveness on the organization’s website, may be important
cues that an organization is “disability friendly” and therefore encourage disability disclosure. The purpose of this study was to determine what employer practices or workplace characteristics contribute to a “disability-friendly” organizational culture, and how this relates to employee disclosure decisions. Using survey methodology, data were collected from a convenience sample of 350 employees to develop a new 25 item assessment tool, called the Inclusive Workplace Survey (IWS), that measures the perceived disability inclusiveness of an organization. A second sample of 128 employees with physical disabilities was collected to test the new survey and hierarchical regression was used to determine what factors predict disability disclosure. In addition to employee health status, the strongest predictors of disability disclosure were having control and flexibility at work, feeling supported by co-workers and supervisor, and working in a visibly diverse workplace. This presentation will describe the new IWS tool and summarize the relationship between employer practices, organizational culture, and disability-disclosure decisions. Understanding how employees make decisions about disclosure in the workplace may inform organizational policies, practices and programs to improve the experiences of individuals living with a disability.