Return to work, accommodation and support

Job disruptions are common among workers living with chronic physical and/or mental health conditions, an IWH study has found. The study investigated the effects of workplace supports had on four types of job disruptions.

Published: March 2025

An IWH study found that among a group of injured workers in Ontario, those who experienced severe pain were more likely to use opioids than those who had no or only mild pain—regardless of whether they felt they had to return to work too soon, or were offered work accommodations.

Published: February 2025

Published: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, February 2025

Mental health is often thought of as the presence or absence of a mental health condition such as depression or an anxiety disorder. However, the complete mental health model suggests that mental health is also comprised of one’s level of emotional, psychological and social wellbeing. How does this holistic way of framing mental health help us understand the return-to-work experiences of injured workers? In this presentation, Dr. Kathleen Dobson shares results from a recent study examining various mental health profiles among a group of physically injured workers in Ontario. She discusses why it is important to define “mental health” in occupational research, how this framework helps highlight the diverse mental health experiences that injured workers have and how these experiences may impact their return to work.

Published: January 2025

Published: Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, January 2025

Published: PLoS ONE, January 2025

Published: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, January 2025

Decision-Support for Communicating about Invisible Disabilities that are Episodic (DCIDE ) is a free tool that aims to help workers consider whether or not to share some personal health information with others at work. 

Published: December 2024

Workers with chronic or episodic health conditions may face the decision of whether to disclose their health information at work. But many find this decision challenging and stressful. A worker may need supports due to their condition but may worry that sharing health information could impact their reputation or job security. A new IWH tool, called DCIDE, was developed to help workers make these hard decisions.

Published: December 2024

Workers with chronic and episodic physical and mental health conditions often struggle when deciding whether to seek support from their workplace. In making decisions, they weigh risks like the loss of privacy or reputation if they disclose their needs, versus concerns about job difficulties and work performance if they don’t receive support. 
In this presentation, Dr. Monique Gignac focuses on the challenges inherent in the decision-making process. She also describes a new decision-support tool called DCIDE that aims to help workers navigate the complexity of disclosure decisions. Developed as part of a large research partnership with input from researchers, people with lived experiences, and health charities, DCIDE is an online, interactive tool that guides users through disclosure decisions and links them with additional resources to support their disclosure and privacy preferences.  

Published: November 2024