Until 18th October 2022, the database search yielded 1.850 records (see Fig. 1). Twenty-six studies were identified through additional sources. After the removal of duplicates, there were 1.790 records left to screen. Applying the screening tool, 114 studies were identified as eligible for the review and thus built the final sample.

Flowchart of scoping review screening

Most of the studies were conducted in the USA (n = 33), followed by the UK (n = 12), Canada (n = 11), the Netherlands (n = 10), and Germany (n = 9). Of the 114 studies, 89 used primary research data, 25 used secondary research data, and 1 used primary and secondary research data. Regarding study design, 62 studies used quantitative methods, 49 used qualitative methods, and 3 used a mixed-methods approach. Furthermore, far more studies were cross-sectional (n = 102) than longitudinal (n = 12). Slightly more than half of the studies involved a sample or subsample of employees with physical impairments (n = 62), followed by mental impairments (n = 45), cognitive impairments or divergencies (n = 35), sensory impairments (n = 32) and impairments related to activities of daily living without explicit specification of the type of health impairment (n = 10). It has to be noted that some the studies included more than one type of impairment in their sample, which is why the impairment types do not add up to 114. Additionally, 23 studies employed generic terms such as “disabled employees” or “chronic health conditions” without delineating classifiable health impairments or specific activity limitations.

The assignment of categories to the three work levels yielded four categories on the organizational level, two categories on the team level and nine categories on the individual level (see Table 1). The organizational level includes information about organizational structures, the organizational culture and opportunities for advancement within an organization. The team level describes the direct social work environment, including supervisors and coworkers. At the individual level, categories are listed that determine the work activity itself, i.e., the contractual framework, work times, or psychological working conditions. The three levels of work and their subcategories are described in detail below. Thereby, the categories are illustrated by selected results of the included studies. This includes which working conditions of disabled employees have been taken into account in research so far, as well as the context in which they are discussed. This can mean whether specific working conditions are considered an opportunity or a challenge, whether they pose barriers, or how they can be accommodated.

Working conditions at the organizational level are divided into four categories: Organizational structure (n = 34), Organizational culture (n = 47), Professional growth (n = 34), and Health Promotion (n = 12).

Sixteen studies involve information on structures and operational processes within organizations. Among these, some studies discuss organizational flexibility [28, 31,32,33,34]. Organizational flexibility is thought to be related to the preparedness of organizations to create flexible work [34] and whether organizations allow different work modes [35] or work adjustments [33]. This includes whether employers are prepared to build flexible jobs in terms of work load, work times or mode of payment [34] or if employers allow spontaneous changes, i.e. when it comes to working from home [35].

Another facet that is addressed is operational processes. Studies scrutinize the absence of formalized processes to support disabled employees [36] and the complex nature of these processes [37]. In the course of this, it is also addressed whether there are fixed contact persons for disabled employees in organizations whom they can consult [35, 38, 39].

Organizational policies are referenced in thirteen studies. Examples encompass inclusion policies [34, 40, 41], policies for remote work [34], and policies for workplace accommodations [42]. Hierarchies and roles are discussed in nine studies. As illustrated by one study, flat hierarchies are posited to enhance access to “key decision makers” [39] within organizations. Additionally, the studies underscore the importance of disabled employees comprehending their roles within the organizational framework. Therefore, clear and congruent job descriptions, aligned with the actual job and employer expectations, are addressed [43,44,45,46,47]. Finally, four studies mention awareness training as a potential avenue to sensitize organizational members to the subjects of disability and inclusion.

Forty studies offer insights into organizational attitudes. These reflect the degree of inclusivity within the workplace climate, involving the extent of supportiveness and understanding organizations display toward disabled employees. Within the studies, an inclusive culture is delineated as one that fosters equitable opportunities for all employees, values their diversity [48, 49], and normalizes disability [62]. Furthermore, aspects of the organizational culture such as understanding [63,64,65], trust [34, 40], respect [32, 47], and no tolerance for discrimination [42] are mentioned. Conversely, some studies thematize cultural aspects with adverse implications for disabled employees. These encompass rigid employer attitudes [34] as well as instances of stigmatization [66], discrimination [67], and doubt and suspicion [50] coming from the organization.

Another thematic strand pertains to the willingness of organizations to support and accommodate disabled employees. Along this trajectory, the studies indicate that some employers dismiss accommodation requests by disabled employees [51] or do not provide accommodations because of a lack of understanding [31, 52, 68, 69]. This also connects to disability awareness and knowledge within organizations (n = 16). As indicated by the studies, representatives of organizations often appear to possess inadequate knowledge regarding the nature of impairments [53, 64, 70], the workplace impacts on impairments [71], and the possibilities of support and funding for disabled employees [34, 35, 39, 52].

Regarding career development (n = 24), the studies especially illustrate the equity of career prospects for disabled employees compared to their non-disabled counterparts [54, 62,63,64]. The findings reveal instances where disabled employees perceive discrimination concerning promotions and career advancement [50] and non-disabled coworkers with lesser experience and qualifications are promoted before them [85]. Furthermore, two studies describe that disabled employees perceive so-called “glass ceilings”, hindrances that impede their career advancement [45, 51]. Among the sixteen studies encompassing information about occupational training, two principal aspects emerge: The first aspect revolves around the provision of training opportunities by the employer [38, 43, 51, 54, 69, 88]. The second aspect pertains to the accessibility of training and training materials for disabled employees [36, 38, 44, 69].

When it comes to health promotion, the most frequent theme is the occupational physician (n = 6). Two studies underscore the difficulties encountered by disabled employees in effectively utilizing their services: occupational physicians might lack visibility in organizations, have little time for employees, or are generally hard to access [37, 52]. Furthermore, studies report that occupational physicians lack knowledge regarding chronic conditions [65] or give inappropriate advice to disabled employees [55]. In addition, six studies incorporate insights into healthcare initiatives within the workplace. Disabled employees and supervisors perceive healthcare services as an important aspect when it comes to disease management and psychological support [48, 61, 71]. However, another study found that disabled employees are less likely to participate in health programs than non-disabled employees due to accessibility issues [68].

At the team level, there are two thematic areas: Leadership quality (n = 50) and Team climate (n = 84).

The most frequent theme concerning leadership quality is support (n = 25). Supervisors are described as an essential source of support [56] and can function as a key to employment success for disabled employees [64]. Most importantly, they play a crucial role as gatekeepers in facilitating work accommodations [57]. Within the studies, supportive supervisors are recognized for their contributions to mitigating work intensity [72, 89], reorganizing tasks [37, 40, 62], and adjusting worksites [40]. Furthermore, the studies show that supervisors can provide emotional support and motivate disabled employees [55, 64]. Conversely, unsupportive supervisors can create barriers for disabled employees by withholding or disallowing accommodations [40, 99]. Among the studies that explore supervisor attitudes (n = 22), most focus on negative attitudes. These encompass a lack of understanding toward disabled employees [