Introduction: It is difficult to speak out about workplace mistreatment; targets often respond passively to their experiences, either ignoring, denying, or dismissing their mistreatment. Yet, speaking up is central to target support and to circumventing this problem. While some researchers investigate the antecedents of workplace mistreatment responses, absent from this literature are the lived experiences of those with disabilities - an omission that hinders the discovery of impactful differences in experience.


Purpose: Guided by an interest in how workplace mistreatment is experienced and navigated by employees with disabilities, this study examines the forms that responses may take and the factors that shape them. Attention is given to individual characteristics, organizational dynamics, and contextual conditions that may either facilitate or restrict certain responses. The study also considers implications for how organizations might better foster supportive environments when mistreatment arises.


Method: This study utilizes free-response data from Prolific. Participants were eligible if they identified as having a disability, were employed either full- or part-time, were English-speaking, and had experienced workplace mistreatment within the past year. Drawing on a critical incident methodology, participants were invited to describe in detail a specific mistreatment event that was particularly impactful. They subsequently answered open-ended questions regarding their responses to the incident and the factors they perceived as shaping those responses. Data collection is currently ongoing, with a projected final sample of approximately 250 participants.


Results: Data collection is ongoing, but is projected to be complete by March 2026.


Conclusion: This research will contribute empirically and theoretically to the workplace mistreatment and disability literatures, revealing more about the barriers, facilitators, and well-being impacts of speaking up about workplace mistreatment, for those with disabilities. These findings can inform choices about mistreatment interventions, target supports, and how training and workplace policies can be tailored to better address the needs of this underserved community.