After an accident or illness, returning to work can be difficult or even impossible. Although Occupational health and safety (OHS) is an important and central element of Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and is included in all international CSR frameworks and standards as well as in most CSR strategies of companies, in the event that an employee becomes ill or has an accident and then needs support in returning to work or vocational rehabilitation, it is rarely a part of CSR strategies. Vocational rehabilitation as an element of CSR has also received little attention in the literature so far. The aim of this study is therefore to examine whether and to what extent vocational rehabilitation and also the employment of people with disabilities are taken into account in the popular CSR frameworks and standards. The research is based on a comprehensive search of published peer-reviewed literature. For the in-depth analysis, the most popular CSR frameworks, guidelines, firms' rating indices, management systems and certification schemes were selected and evaluated, using deductive content analysis. The results of the analysis show that although OHS is a central topic in all international CSR frameworks and standards, vocational rehabilitation and the employment of people with disabilities, or rather disability in general, are not taken into account. The conclusion suggests that the promotion of vocational rehabilitation and the employment of people with disabilities can be substantially promoted by implementation and consideration in CSR frameworks and standards. Irrespective of this, the implementation of vocational rehabilitation and the employment of people with disabilities as part of the CSR strategy and its implementation in business practice should be further investigated.
Advancing in Employment: The Way Forward for Vocational Rehabilitation