Why focus on job crafting?

International evidence suggests that job crafting helps to improve workplace experiences and outcomes. Job crafting happens when employees are upskilled and empowered to make proactive changes to their jobs, often in collaboration with their line managers. Job crafting is flexible and person-centred. It can involve changes to tasks, timing, location, activities, goals and relationships at work, amongst other things. Ultimately job crafting is about improving the person-job fit for workers so that they can be as engaged, happy, healthy and productive as possible in their work. This helps the worker, their employer, and their colleagues.

Who is eligible for the WISHES trial?

Participation in the WISHES trial is open to all UK-resident workers who would like to make their work more manageable, engaging and enjoyable through job crafting. Although all workers are eligible, WISHES may be of particular interest to those who self-identify as having any type of disability, long-term health condition and/or workplace support needs (e.g. caring responsibilities, faith practices, combining multiple jobs) and we have designed training to be inclusive and accessible for people in these groups.

Why is there a particular interest in trialling job crafting amongst workers with disabilities and/or long-term health conditions within WISHES?

Workers with disabilities and/or long-term health conditions are far more likely to drop out of work and to be less well and less productive than they could be compared to other workers. Workers with disabilities and/or long-term health conditions report a range of challenges when trying to secure workplace accommodations to support to help them sustain and thrive at work. Job crafting is well placed to deliver many of the most frequently needed workplace accommodations that workers with disabilities or long-term health conditions say they need.