Higher workloads for employees with a disability

According to Article 27 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, people with disabilities have a right to favorable and safe working conditions. However, little is known about the working conditions of employees with disabilities. As evaluations by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) and the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) from Germany now show discloseemployees with a disability feel more stressed by work demands than people without a disability. In 2018, around 17,000 employees, including 1,766 people with an officially recognized disability, were asked about the mental demands of their work. It was found that people with a disability generally work at the limits of their capabilities more quickly. Further differences were found when it came to working quickly. Here, 61 percent of employees with a disability stated that they were affected. In contrast, only 51 percent of employees without a disability reported this.

The high workload among disabled people in industry is particularly high. In contrast to 50 percent of non-disabled people, 69 percent of disabled employees feel stressed by fast-paced work. The biggest difference was found when working at the limits of their capabilities. Here, 91 percent of employees with a disability stated that they felt stressed by these work demands, while 76 percent of employees without a disability stated that they were under pressure to perform.

According to the German institutes, good measures in the workplace can help to prevent overexertion. For example, employees with a disability should be supported by better technical equipment or more flexibility. The working atmosphere also always plays an important role.

Source: BAuA