Training for Supervisors to Improve Sustainable Employment of Employees with a work Disability: A Longitudinal Effect and Process Evaluation from an Intervention Study with Matched Controls.

Only 73 employees had usable register data and were matched, so the employment findings are based on a small employee sample. The study did not randomize employees or supervisors, and the control group was selected from other regions because researchers could not identify which employees in the same regions had untrained supervisors. Supervisors selected the employees they invited, which may have biased the employee sample toward people who were already doing better. The paper does not say how many employees were invited to participate. Supervisor outcomes were self-reported, measured without a control group, and the questionnaire items were not tested for consistency or accuracy. Many supervisors already scored relatively high on attitudes and intended behaviors at baseline, leaving little room for improvement. Organizational changes and pandemic-related effects were not captured, and the study could not fully control for such factors. Unmeasured factors, such as type of work disability, organizational culture, and HR policies, may have influenced the results.

Funding was provided by ZonMw.

Do not conclude that Mentorwijs improves sustainable employment. The main employment outcomes did not show significant differences at 3, 6, 9, or 12 months, and the isolated 8-month difference was not sustained.