Strengthening disability management in Ontario’s municipal sector
Reasons for the study
Ontario’s municipalities employ more than 25,000 people. Thus, improving the quality and consistency of current disability management practices in the province’s municipal sector would benefit many by reducing the number of avoidable disability days. These are days of work absence due to delays in return-to-work planning and implementation, and delays in establishing suitable accommodations and modified work. In this project, the research team is partnering with at least six Ontario municipalities over a two-year period to audit and benchmark disability management practices, with the goal of identifying innovative solutions that have the potential to reduce avoidable disability days.
Objectives of the study
Municipal employers and unions representing the municipal labour force across Canada may want to apply lessons learned about improving disability management practices. Other audiences, such as policy-makers in provincial workers’ compensation authorities, disability benefit trusts and private-sector disability insurance plans, and labour representatives in the public sector may also find the knowledge arising from this research useful.
Related scientific publications
- Jetha A, Yanar B, Lay M, Mustard C. Work disability management communication bottlenecks within large and complex public service organizations: a sociotechnical systems study. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2019;29(4):754-763. doi:10.1007/s10926-019-09836-3.
Related interviews and articles
- What’s causing the bottleneck in disability management?. Canadian HR Reporter. February 24, 2020. Available from: https://www.hrreporter.com/focus-areas/wellness-mental-health/whats-causing-the-bottleneck-in-disability-management/326532
- Addressing communication issues faced by supervisors, case managers key to well-run RTW process. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 98, Fall 2019.
Project status
Completed 2019
Research team
Collaborators and partners
- National Institute for Disability Management and Research
- Ontario Municipal Human Resources Association
- Public Services Health and Safety Association
Funded by
Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Social Sciences Humanities Research Council Signature Initiative