Perceptions of Federal Workplace Attributes: Interactions Among Disability, Sex, and Military Experience

Abstract

The U.S. federal government strives to be a model employer of people with disabilities. Although it has been successful in recent years in increasing disability hiring, retention of this workforce remains a concern. The researchers of this mixed-methods study sought to understand the perceptions of workplace attributes by employees with disabilities in federal agencies through analysis of the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) and focus groups. The study results indicate that people with disabilities, in general, have lower perceptions of workplace attributes than their peers without disabilities; however, looking at groups differentiated by disability, military experience, and sex tells a richer story. This article incorporates the voices of agency representatives and employees with disabilities to provide additional context to the survey findings. Based on the results, the authors offer practice and policy recommendations to support improved workplace experiences and retention of employees with disabilities.