Compensation and benefit policy
When workers are injured or people with disabilities are unable to work, they usually turn to compensation and benefit systems for the income and other supports they need to deal with the physical, emotional and financial consequences of the injury or illness. Like most benefit payment systems, Canada’s workers’ compensation and disability support systems are complex and sometimes give rise to disputes. Institute for Work & Health (IWH) research in this area aims to help point the way forward by finding out what is working (and what is not) in the world of public- and private-sector disability support programs, including workers’ compensation, public pension and unemployment programs for people with disabilities.
Latest news and findings

Telementoring program helps care providers with challenging RTW cases
The first two rounds of the world’s first ECHO program on occupational and environmental medicine (OEM) have wrapped up, and preparation is underway for a third round this fall. We spoke to some of the health-care practitioners who attended the first two rounds to learn how ECHO OEM has helped with their most challenging return-to-work cases.
Read about ECHO OEM participants’ perspectives
Role of IWH research in changes to B.C. legislation on claim suppression
After an IWH study filled a research gap on claim suppression in B.C. and helped make the case for change, the province amended legislation to strengthen protections against the practice.
Read the impact case study
Sign up now: Inclusive Design for Employment Access (IDEA) launch event
On Thursday, May 18, the Inclusive Design for Employment Access (IDEA) social innovation laboratory is hosting a launch event. This partnered, knowledge-to-practice initiative is focused on building employers’ capacity to hire, promote and retain persons with disabilities, and to create accessible and inclusive workplaces.
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/inclusive-design-for-employment-access-idea-launch-virtual-attendance-tickets-602804042117
IWH Speaker Series webinar explores persistent pain after work injury
How common is it for injured workers to continue experiencing pain after a work injury? In the next IWH Speaker Series, on November 15, Dr. Kathleen Dobson shares findings from a study conducted with workers’ compensation claimants in Ontario.
Sign up for the webinar
WSIB Health & Safety Excellence Program makes use of IWH safety culture measure
A version of the IWH-Organizational Performance Metric (IWH-OPM) is used by Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) to let workplaces in its Health and Safety Excellence Program measure their safety culture against a benchmark. The measure also allows the compensation agency to track trends in safety culture over time among participating organizations.
Read about this use of research