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
At Work article
Inclusive employment strategies, resources showcased at symposium
Published: November 12, 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, thanks to organizations that promoted the tools and helped them reach the hands of workers, employers and post-secondary students.
Published: October 16, 2025
Journal article
Journal article
Transitions that matter: life course differences in the employment of adults with arthritis
Published: Disability and Rehabilitation, January 2018
Project
Project
Preventing work disability among millennial young adults with rheumatic disease
Status: Ongoing
Project
Project
Tracking long-term outcomes of injured workers in Ontario to better target supports
Status: Completed
Impact case study
Seven “principles” used in return-to-work policies and practices
When Ontario legislated in 1997 that employers and workers cooperate in the early and safe return to work of injured workers, the workplace parties were looking for guidance. They found it in the Institute for Work & Health's evidence-based Seven "Principles" for Successful Return to Work, one of the most popular and widely used guides developed by the Institute.
Published: December 2017
At Work article
Young adults with chronic conditions often struggle to access workplace supports
Young people with arthritis have the same accommodation needs as their older counterparts. But they face a few distinct barriers accessing those workplace supports. Find out why.
Published: November 2017
Journal article
Journal article
Systematic review of prognostic factors for return to work in workers with sub acute and chronic low back pain
Published: Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, September 2017
IWH in the media
Bad news: Now standing at work is killing you, too
Wait, what? It's been less than a week since we shared with you the grim news that sitting as much as you do will one day transform you into a helpless, miserable, immobile old person who can barely walk. Now, a team of Canadian researchers have found that people who primarily stand at work are twice as likely to develop heart disease as their chair-dwelling counterparts
Published: GQ, September 2017
Journal article
Journal article
Implementation of a disability management policy in a large healthcare employer: a quasi-experimental, mixed-methods evaluation
Published: BMJ Open, June 2017
Video
Video
Creating effective return-to-work programs for workers with MSDs
What workplace-based interventions are effective in helping workers with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) recover and return to work after a period of work absence? This is the question that a team of researchers from the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) in Toronto, Canada, and the Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research (ISCRR) in Melbourne, Australia, set out to answer through a systematic review of high quality research on the topic.
Published: May 2017
IWH in the media
New study shows that life and career stage do matter when thinking about the impact of arthritis on employment
Arthritis affects 4.3 million Canadians, 60 per cent of whom are under the age of 65. Yet, we know little about how people with arthritis balance their work responsibilities with the management of their health condition at different stages of their lives, writes Institute for Work & Health (IWH) Research Associate Julie Bowring.
Published: CAPA Newsletter, May 2017