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

Purpose: Supervisors play a crucial role in sustainable employment of employees with a work disability. The ‘Mentorwijs’ (literal translation: Mentorwise) training was developed to train supervisors in knowledge, attitudes and skills needed to guide these employees. This study evaluated the effect of ‘Mentorwijs’ on employees’ employment and supervisors’ behavioral outcomes. Methods: Register- and questionnaire data were obtained from 73 employees and 1,526 matched controls to measure employment (≥ 1/month, ≥ 12 h/week and ≥ 3 consecutive months (≥ 1 h/month)) during a 12-month follow-up period. Questionnaire data were obtained from 127 supervisors who followed the ‘Mentorwijs’ training, to assess their knowledge, self-efficacy, intention to adopt and applied behaviors. Results: Employment for ≥ 1 h/month did not significantly improve after 3 (β = 0.05; CI=-0.07-0.16), 6 (β = 0.07; CI=-0.04-0.18), 9 (β = 0.08; CI=-0.02-0.18) and 12 (β = 0.01; CI=-0.08-0.10) months among employees whose supervisors followed ‘Mentorwijs’ compared to those who did not. Significant effects were found after 8 months (β = 0.11; CI = 0.01–0.21). Comparable effects were found for employment ≥ 12 hour/week and ≥ 3 consecutive months (≥ 1 hour/month). Supervisors’ knowledge and self-efficacy significantly improved as a result of ‘Mentorwijs’, but no effects were found for intention to adopt and applied behaviors. Conclusions: ‘Mentorwijs’ is a promising training to improve the guidance of employees with a work disability. Further research is needed to examine how long-term effects of ‘Mentorwijs’ on employment can be sustained.