Rationale:
People with epilepsy (PWE) face barriers to employment because of fears about seizures and negative perceptions in workplaces. We investigated attitudes toward PWE in workplace, and factors contributing to these attitudes in South Korea.
Methods:
This survey was conducted from May to December 2022 by requesting cooperation from companies through business associations to participate in the survey. Data were collected from employers and employees through a Google Form in South Korea. The participation in the survey was voluntary and anonymous. Company information was collected, including the company's organizational form, the number of workers at the workplace, and the average wage of workers etc. The questionnaires assessing attitude toward epilepsy, knowledge about epilepsy, familiarity with epilepsy and disclosure of epilepsy were used.
Results:
One hundred-nine respondents participated in the survey; thirty-eight (34.9%) respondents were employers, and 71 (65.1%) respondents were employees. Seven point nine percent of employers reported having experience of hiring PWE. Most respondents (84.4%) were of the view that PWE should disclose their condition to a company, with 60% responding PWE should report even when they are seizure-free. About half respondents (50.5%) felt there were jobs in their company suitable for PWE, and 43.1% responded that “Epilepsy can be a disadvantage in hiring or performance evaluations.” Respondents in small businesses (< 20) were less likely to report there are suitable positions within the workplace (39.5% vs 62.3%, p=0.40), but less likely to report that “Epilepsy can be a disadvantage in hiring or performance evaluations” (27.9% vs 52.8%, p=0.22). Among respondents, 61.5% thought that employing a PWE would not be a major issue. Common concerns about hiring PWE included doubts about their work ability (35.8%), epilepsy-related safety issues (75.2%), and potential rejection by colleagues (51.4%). Eighty-nine point nine percent of respondents answered that there is a fear of not knowing how to deal with a seizure. Higher knowledge about epilepsy (r= 0.206, p=0.040) was associated with positive perceptions toward workers with epilepsy.