ABSTRACT

American experience illustrates that employers can effectively improve the workplace environment. Firms have been aware of the issue of working conditions, mainly because of costs of workplace hazards and the pressure of insurance companies and unions. An important literature in ergonomics, psychology, occupational medicine or sociology has been devoted to the consequences of changing workplace organization for the well-being of workers. Both decentralization of decision-making and lean production imply that workers are involved in job rotation. Because the outflow from disability benefit remains extremely low, the debate on the actions of employers mainly focuses on their role for improving the accessibility to jobs for disabled people. Working time flexibility is likely to disturb the planning of people's life. Contrary to the common belief that "transforming disability into ability" is slowed by generous benefits for disabled peoples, this piece of literature also suggests that "involuntary" disability can be massive; strain at work in firms is a barrier to return to work.