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
At Work article
Study probes factors behind poorer health, lower employment in injured workers’ post-claim experience
What are the work and health outcomes of injured workers after they no longer receive workers' compensation benefits or services? A study at IWH sets out to explore this little understood aspect of the post-injury experience.
Published: November 2021
Project
Project
Inclusive Design for Employment Access (IDEA): A social innovation lab to increase demand-side capacity to employ persons with disabilities in Canada
This large, national project includes many research team members, collaborators and partners—all taking an innovative approach to increasing the sustainable employment of people with disabilities in Canada by building disability confidence and accommodation capacity among employers
Status: Ongoing
IWH in the media
How workplaces can support staff with MS
Canada has one of the highest rates of multiple scleroris and employers need to do more to accommodate, according to Julie Kelndorfer of MS Society of Canada. Maia Foulis interviews her about what workplaces can do to be safe and welcoming to people with the condition, and why the society is a partner on an Institute for Work & Health research project on communicating about episodic disability.
Published: Canadian Occupational Safety, September 2021
Journal article
Journal article
Cohort profile: the Ontario Life After Workplace Injury Study (OLAWIS)
Published: BMJ Open, September 2021
IWH in the media
Lack of support at work makes COVID worse for people with disabilities
The coronavirus pandemic has negatively affected plenty of employees. But for those with physical or mental health challenges, a lack of support on the job has exacerbated the issues. John Dujay reports on a study conducted by Dr. Monique Gignac of the Institute for Work and Health (IWH).
Published: Canadian HR Reporter, August 2021
At Work article
COVID worries highest among workers with both physical, mental health disabilities
People with both physical and mental health disabilities were the most concerned about their work, health and finances during the early part of the pandemic.
Published: July 2021
Journal article
Journal article
Sleep disturbances and disability following work-related injury and illness: examining longitudinal relationships across three follow-up waves
Published: Journal of Sleep Research, June 2021
Journal article
Journal article
Support for depression in the workplace: perspectives of employees, managers, and OHS personnel
Published: Occupational Health Science, June 2021
At Work article
Education, type of work lessen pandemic job loss in youths with rheumatic diseases
Young adults with rheumatic diseases have generally faced greater challenges in the job market than their healthy peers. That was why an IWH research team set out to examine their work experiences during the pandemic.
Published: June 2021
Journal article
Journal article
Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on health, financial worries, and perceived organizational support among people living with disabilities in Canada
Published: Disability and Health Journal, June 2021