Health promoting features of WISE employment for people with psychosocial disability

Purpose A growing body of research has found promising outcomes for work integration social enterprise (WISE) as a pathway for improving well-being and the social determinants of health. To date, there is evidence to suggest that people with a mental health condition can experience WISE workplaces as flexible, inclusive and enabling and that these working conditions can contribute to positive employment and well-being outcomes. However, there is currently little longitudinal research that explores the longer-term employment, health and well-being outcomes of transitional WISE that employ people with the eventual goal of assisting employees into open employment. This paper aims to explore how the WISE work environment influences these outcomes for people with a mental health condition or psychosocial disability. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a mixed methods longitudinal case study of a transitional WISE in Australia exploring changes in health and well-being over time and the WISE conditions that influenced this. Findings The findings of this study indicate some improvements in income, material circumstances and subjective well-being compared with previous periods of unemployment. Health promoting effects of WISE employment are mediated by person-job fit and by the features and experience of the work environment – including the degree to which the WISE workplace culture counters ableist attitudes, enables flexibility and equitably and supports employees’ development and career progression. Originality/value This paper extends current knowledge through longitudinal qualitative data that presents new insights about WISE employees’ experiences of social enterprise employment over time.