Return to work, accommodation and support

Supporting people with episodic health conditions can be challenging from organizational perspectives. The challenges stem from the need to provide accommodation and support while respecting workers’ right to privacy, and to respond to unpredictable periods of disability while ensuring work units meet productivity demands.

Published: September 2020

Disability management must adapt and create a new model to reflect the impact of episodic disabilities among employees, writes John Dujay on a study led by Dr. Monique Gignac, scientific co-director and senior scientist at the Institute for Work & Health.

Published: Canadian HR Reporter, August 2020

Employers are recognizing that they need a new model of disability management to support workers with episodic health conditions, according to a new IWH study. These conditions can raise a host of issues for workplaces, including issues of trust, stigma and privacy.

Published: August 2020

People who live in more remote areas have more disability days following a work-related injury than people who live in large cities. However, there are exceptions to that pattern. Disability days are highest in the most remote rural areas. But they're second highest in the least remote rural areas, where at least 30 per cent of workers commute to an urban centre.

Published: July 2020

Among workers with a compensation claim for a work-related musculoskeletal injury, 30 per cent also experience a serious mental condition. However, a minority of these workers receive treatment for their mental health conditions, according to an IWH study conducted in Australia.

Published: March 2020

Communication barriers between health-care providers and case managers appear to stem from differences in communication styles, professional priorities and philosophical perspectives about the timing and appropriateness of return to work. Barriers exist even among practitioners of different health disciplines.

Published: March 2020

Injured workers on leave due to psychological injuries report poorer experiences and interactions throughout the return-to-work process. According to an IWH study, these experiences are interconnected, leading to longer time off from work.

Published: February 2020

When it comes to disability management and return to work, communication is crucial. But often there are bottlenecks, and a new study by the Institute for Work & Health cites case managers and frontline supervisors as big factors, finds Sarah Dobson

Published: Canadian HR Reporter, February 2020

Every year, tens of thousands of Canadians become disabled and are unable to work, thereby becoming excluded from the many health advantages of workforce participation. In response to the growing concerns about managing disability in the workplace, the CSA Group, in conjunction with the Centre for Research on Work Disability Policy (CRWDP) and Conestoga College, has developed a new standard called the Work Disability Management Systems Standard (CSA Z1011). In this presentation, CRWDP director and IWH Senior Scientist Dr. Emile Tompa highlights components of the standard, which sets out best practices on injury/illness rehabilitation, return-to-work plans, and accommodation of workers with disabilities.

Published: February 2020

Published: The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, February 2020