The downside of workplace accommodations : Problems and conflicts during an individual change process: A qualitative analysis of the employees' perspective

Our study provides comprehensive insights into the experiences of workplace accommodation recipients and hereby highlights the idea that affected employees do not necessarily benefit from the accommodation. Building on organizational change and accommodations literature, we propose a theoretical framework of negative experiences during accommodation processes and apply it to qualitative data from interviews with accommodation recipients. Although problems associated with the health-related impairment are solved by the accommodation, affected employees often experience interpersonal problems and conflicts similar to those that typically occur during organizational change. Lacking social support as well as poor communication and information are frequently criticized. Moreover, discrimination, bullying, and maltreatment appear to be common during accommodation processes. The findings suggest that "well-meant is not always well-done" - in order to make accommodation processes more successful, we derive recommendations from organizational change literature and apply it to the accommodation context. Moreover, unique characteristics of the accommodation setting are emphasized and translated into practical implications.