Impacts on the worker and the work environment

Work disability has major repercussions on workers, who are the first to suffer the impacts in their daily lives, even though all the actors involved, from near and far (e.g. family members, colleagues), also suffer the consequences. For the sake of clarity, these different impacts have been divided into two components: impacts on the worker and impacts on the workplace.

Impacts on the worker

Work plays an important role in the construction of personal identity and is one of the main pillars of social integration. In addition to financial security, it provides a sense of accomplishment and usefulness that can quickly be put to the test when a person experiences a work disability (Coutu et al., 2013). This feeling of insecurity is all the stronger because functional limitations may result and the possibilities of returning to work are uncertain. Depending on the type of job and the vitality of the economic sector concerned, the stakes may be higher. Indeed, whether it is total, partial or temporary, or whether it leaves permanent after-effects, the disability may cause the worker to question his family or parental obligations, the value he places on work and his sense of duty, usefulness and productivity (which remains a key value in our society).

The loss of a job or a prolonged stoppage of work due to disability can take on a different meaning when it affects the worker’s relationships with others and his or her self-perception. A sense of loss or disruption may occur (Beardwood, Kirsh, & Clark, 2005; Coutu et al, 2013); it may be felt even more keenly when the worker has a difficult migration and professional integration path or accumulates situations of vulnerability (Ahonen, Benavides, & Benach, 2007; de Castro, Fujishiro, & Sweitzer, 2006; Gravel, Dubé, Côté, White, & Gratton, 2017; Kosny et al, 2012; MacEachen, Kosny, Ferrier, & Chambers, 2010). Rebuilding a positive self-image then becomes a crucial issue for the worker to regain self-confidence. This is not easy if his or her immediate environment sends conflicting signals or messages that can further stigmatize him or her (Hanisch et al., 2016; Hatzenbuehler, Phelan, & Link, 2013; Kirsh, Slack, & King, 2012).

Social relationships may also be challenged during the period of absence. Indeed, the worker may encounter misunderstanding from others and the veracity of his condition may be questioned or challenged. They may also experience stigmatization and even self-stigmatization by maintaining a negative image of themselves, i.e. by integrating the negative image reflected by others or society in general (Gewurtz and Kirsh, 2009). If the worker does not have the support of those close to him (immediate family, circle of friends, colleagues, etc.), he may feel isolated. This can lead to a weakened social network. Workplace support is also an important issue and a key requirement for a healthy and sustainable return to work (Andersen, Nielsen, & Brinkmann, 2012; Heerkens, de Brouwer, Engels, van der Gulden, & Kant, 2017; Kulkarni & Lengnick-Hall, 2014; Tamers, Beresford, Thompson, Zheng, & Cheadle, 2011).

In sum, the impacts on the worker can be grouped around the following themes:

• a sense of financial security;
• the feeling of usefulness and productivity;
• a sense of duty and family obligations;
• the meaning of work;
• self-image;
• Stigma;
• the experience of doubt and misunderstanding of others;
• support from family and friends;
• the experience of isolation.

Impacts on the workplace

In addition to the impacts on the worker, there are also impacts on the work environment and on the company itself. Prolonged absence from work is not without consequences for the dynamics of the company and work relations. When a worker is absent for an indefinite period of time, teams must be reorganized and tasks redistributed. This can result in lost productivity and costs related to absence management and replacement staff training (Ekberg et al., 2016; Higgins, O’Halloran, & Porter, 2012). As an example, in 2008, the economic burden of illness and injury in Canada was $192.8 billion, including $17.2 billion in lost productivity for employers (Public Health Agency of Canada [PHAC], 2014). In addition, team reorganization can generate tension within work teams by, among other things, causing other workers to become overworked (Coole, Radford, Grant, & Terry, 2013).

In sum, workplace impacts can be grouped around the following themes:

• company dynamics and team reorganization;
• work relations and possible tensions within the teams;
• loss of productivity;
• costs related to absence management;
• costs related to the training of replacement personnel.