A case of tightrope walking. An exploration of the role of employers and managers in supporting people with long-term conditions in the workplace

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJWHM-01-2015-0006
• Date: 13 June 2016
• Pages: 238-250
• Published date: 13 June 2016
• Author: Donna Bramwell,Caroline Sanders,Anne Rogers
• Subject Matter: Health & social care,Healthcare management

A case of tightrope walking

An exploration of the role of employers and

managers in supporting people with long-term

conditions in the workplace

Donna Bramwell

HiPPO –Centre for Primary Care, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

Caroline Sanders

Centre for Primary Care, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK, and

Anne Rogers

Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK

Abstract

Purpose –Given that current policy in the UK is focused on encouraging individuals with long-term

health conditions (LTCs) to work wherever possible, the purpose of this paper is to explore employer’s

and manager’s perspectives of supporting those with LTCs as any successful workplace engagement

will largely be influenced by their readiness to be supportive.

Design/methodology/approach –In total, 40 semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted

with employers’and managers’from a range of organisations in the north-west of England during the

period March 2011 to January 2012. Comparative analysis of the data was guided and informed by

grounded theory principles.

Findings –All bar one participant typified their role as one of a difficult “balancing”act of additional

and often incompatible demands, pressures and feelings. It was evident that coping with this

ambivalent situation incurred an emotional consequence for participants.

Practical implications –Employers’and managers’response to ambivalent feelings may serve to

undermine their capacity to translate supportive intentions into tangible action and are thus reflected

in employee’s perceptions of unsupportive relations. Developing an intervention to raise awareness of

the potential for this situation and subsequent impact on the return to work process would be

beneficial for all stakeholders –the government, employees and employers alike.

Originality/value –This in-depth study gives voice to employers and managers whose experiences

and perceptions of supporting people with LTCs is largely unknown and empirically under-researched.

Findings add to the wealth of research from the employee perspective to provide a more nuanced

picture of the workplace for those working with and/or supporting those with LTCs.

Keywords Workplace health, Qualitative research, Ambivalence, Employers/managers,

Long-term conditions, Workplace social support

Paper type Research paper

1. Background

The successful retention and rehabilitation of workers with long-term conditions[1] (LTCs)

is dependent upon the employers and managers who employ them and on their capacity to

be supportive. Given this, surprisingly little research has been conducted which explicitly

explores this fundamental aspect of the “back to work”journey for those with LTCs.

International Journal of Workplace

Health Management

Vol. 9 No. 2, 2016

pp. 238-250

©Emerald Group Publishing Limited

1753-8351

DOI 10.1108/IJWHM-01-2015-0006

Received 22 January 2015

Revised 10 August 2015

5November2015

9 February 2016

Accepted 9 February 2016

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:

www.emeraldinsight.com/1753-8351.htm

The authors would like to thank those who participated in this study and the invaluable

contribution of Dr Julia Segar in commenting on the manuscript. This research was made

possible through joint funding of a PhD Studentship by the University of Manchester and the

Medical Research Council (MRC). The views expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and

not necessarily those of the MRC.

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IJWHM

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