Researchers from Cardiff and Plymouth universities found that people with physical or psychological disabilities or long-term illness reported higher rates of 21 types of ill-treatment than other workers did, often from their own managers and colleagues.
It found that these included being given impossible deadlines, being ignored, gossiped about or teased.
The research, published today examined responses to interview questions given by 4,000 employees – 284 of them with a disability or long term illness.
It found that those with a disability said managers were responsible for 45% of the more serious ill-treatment they had suffered and that customers or clients were responsible for 28% and colleagues for 18%.
It also showed among workers with a disability, those with a psychological or learning disability usually fared wore than those with physical disabilities or long-term physical health problems. Those with a psychological or learning disability, 21.2% said they were victims of physical violence, 44.2% said they had been insulted and 56.9% said they had been shouted at.
Lead researcher, Ralph Fevre, of Cardiff School of Social Sciences, said: "Up to now, researchers have generally assumed that ill-treatment in the workplace was causing disabilities and health problems.
"Our work suggests ill-treatment happens to employees who already have disabilities or health problems."
