Return to work, accommodation and support
IWH has a long history of conducting research on practices, policies and processes that help workers sustainably return to work after an illness or an injury. This page pulls together IWH research and resources on employer supports, job accommodations and modifications, as well as other related issues such as disclosure of disability.
Featured
Impact case study
Word spreads about IWH tools, thanks to stakeholders' support
Since the release of two tools designed to support the sustained employment of people with chronic and episodic conditions, word has spread quickly, thanks to organizations that promoted the tools and helped them reach the hands of workers, employers and post-secondary students.
Published: October 16, 2025
At Work article
IWH knowledge transfer and exchange approach a ‘perfect fit’ for episodic disabilities project
This article illustrates how a seven-year partnership project used IWH’s approach to KTE to develop and share usable outputs from the research findings.
Published: September 8, 2025
Impact case study
Word spreads about IWH tools, thanks to stakeholders' support
Since the release of two tools designed to support the sustained employment of people with chronic and episodic conditions, word has spread quickly to new audiences who have learned about and adopted them. That's thanks to organizations that promoted the tools and helped them reach the hands of workers, employers and post-secondary students who are about to move forward in the labour market.
Published: October 2025
Journal article
Journal article
Return-to-Work outcomes following mental health treatment among public safety personnel disabled by post-traumatic stress disorder
Published: Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, October 2025
At Work article
IWH knowledge transfer and exchange approach a ‘perfect fit’ for episodic disabilities project
Researchers and knowledge transfer and exchange (KTE) staff at the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) put a lot of focus on how to tap into partner expertise to refine research goals and facilitate the sharing and uptake of research findings. What does that look like in practice? This article illustrates how a seven-year partnership project used IWH’s approach to KTE to develop and share usable outputs from the research findings.
Published: September 2025
Journal article
Journal article
Working informal caregivers and risk of long-term sickness absence and unemployment: a Danish nationwide cohort study of effect modification by psychosocial working conditions
Published: Journal of Public Health, August 2025
Impact case study
Being part of an IWH research partnership helped health charities meet their communities’ needs
The seven-year partnership project, titled Accommodating and Communicating about Episodic Disabilities (ACED), showcases the role partner organizations can play in developing user-friendly research products and in disseminating these products more widely. The partnership enhanced both the quality of the research and the partners’ ability to serve their clients.
Published: August 2025
Journal article
Journal article
Why are disclosure decisions so difficult? Understanding factors that encourage and discourage workers with a chronic disabling condition from disclosing health information at work
Published: Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, August 2025
Research Highlights
Telementoring program addresses return-to-work challenges for Ontario health-care providers
An IWH study has found that Ontario health-care providers face a range of challenges when treating workers with a work-related injury or illness and helping them return to work—from communication issues with compensation boards to the complexities of working with multiple parties. The researchers also found that a telementoring program called ECHO Occupational Environmental Medicine helped providers overcome some of these challenges.
Published: July 2025
Journal article
Journal article
Workplace programs to reduce post-traumatic stress injuries work disability: first responder experiences
Published: Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, May 2025
At Work article
Injured workers face mental health challenges beyond diagnosable conditions
Workers with a work-related physical injury that takes them off the job can have a wide range of mental health experiences, beyond diagnosable conditions. That’s according to an IWH study which also found that differences in workers’ mental health after an injury were linked to return-to-work outcomes. Those reporting both a mental health condition and the poorest wellbeing had longer, more expensive compensation claims.
Published: April 2025
Research Highlights
Examining four types of job disruptions due to a health condition, and the differences expected when workplace support needs are met
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