Does it matter what your reasons are when deciding to disclose (or not disclose) a disability at work? The association of workers' approach and avoidance goals with perceived positive and negative workplace outcomes.
Monique A M Gignac, Arif Jetha, Kathleen A Martin Ginis and 1 others
PMID 33523376WHAT IT FOUND
Workers with disabilities reported positive outcomes from both disclosing and not disclosing, depending on their reasons.
Approach goals linked to positive outcomes; avoidance goals linked to negative ones. Workplace support mattered more than the disclosure choice itself.
Key findings
01Approach reasons for disclosure were associated with more positive and fewer negative outcomes, while avoidance reasons were associated with more negative outcomes.
02For non-disclosure, approach reasons were associated with positive outcomes, but avoidance reasons were also associated with positive outcomes, suggesting a complex relationship where avoiding stigma may preserve the status quo.
03Workplace support and lower job stress were consistently associated with better outcomes regardless of whether the worker disclosed their condition.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Cross-sectional design cannot establish causality; it is unclear whether goals influence outcomes or if outcomes influence reported goals. Self-reported perceptions of outcomes may not reflect actual organizational metrics like retention or performance. Sample selection bias is possible as the study excluded workers who had left employment due to their condition or lack of support. The study did not capture the dynamic, ongoing nature of disclosure decisions, treating them as one-time events.
Declared interests
Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. No conflicts of interest declared by the authors.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that disclosure is inherently better or worse for outcomes. The study shows that the worker's underlying reasons and the workplace environment are more predictive of perceived positive or negative outcomes than the disclosure decision itself.