Workers' compensation and benefits policy
Workers' compensation is a form of insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to workers injured in the course of their employment. Eligibility for, and awarding of, benefits to injured workers are determined by workers’ compensation boards, which are funded through employer premiums. IWH research explores trends in compensation benefits, including benefit adequacy and equity, as well as the effects of compensation policy design on injury and illness prevention.
Featured
Research Highlights
Severe pain, not pressure to return to work or lack of accommodation offer, linked to opioid use post-injury
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.
Published: February 12, 2025
Research Highlights
Workers are using cannabis to treat work-related conditions, mostly without medical guidance
While cannabis is often used recreationally, there is growing interest in its use for therapeutic purposes, such as for pain, anxiety, depression and sleep problems. Some workers are using cannabis many months following the onset of a work-related condition, mostly without medical guidance.
Published: October 5, 2023
Journal article
Journal article
The role of healthcare providers in return to work
Published: International Journal of Disability Management, August 2018
At Work article
Benefits outweigh costs for workplaces that accommodate people with mental illness
For employers, the economic benefits of hiring and accommodating workers with mental illnesses range from two to seven dollars for every dollar spent. That's according to a new study on the business case of accommodating mental illnesses.
Published: July 2018
Journal article
Journal article
Age, sex, and the changing disability burden of compensated work-related musculoskeletal disorders in Canada and Australia
Published: BMC Public Health, June 2018
Project
Project
Tracking long-term outcomes of injured workers in Ontario to better target supports
Status: Completed
At Work article
Proving mental illness diagnosis, duration a challenge for income support programs
Learn the five reasons mental illness claims are so challenging for benefit administrators, according to a study of Ontario and Australia's disability benefits programs.
Published: August 2017
IWH in the media
Getting back on one's feet
Healthcare providers who treat injured workers with multiple injuries and complex illnesses find the workers’ compensation system and return-to-work (RTW) process “opaque and confusing.” That's one of the findings from a two-year, multijurisdictional study by the Institute of Work & Health (IWH).
Published: OHS Canada, February 2017
At Work article
Health professionals report uncertainty over roles in RTW of workers with complex injuries
Case managers and health-care professionals share their thoughts about doctors' role in the workers' compensation system.
Published: February 2017
IWH Speaker Series
IWH Speaker Series
Health-care providers and their role in return to work
Research around the world has shown that health-care providers have a key role in the return-to-work (RTW) process. However, pressure on consultation time, administrative challenges and limited knowledge about a patient’s workplace can thwart meaningful engagement. In a two-year study conducted in four Canadian provinces, Dr. Agnieszka Kosny focused on the experiences of health-care providers within the workers’ compensation system and their role in the RTW process. She shares her findings in this plenary.
Published: February 2017
Journal article
Journal article
Scoping review of work disability policies and programs
Published: International Journal of Disability Management, January 2017
IWH in the media
Doctors frustrated workers’ compensation boards seem to ignore medical opinions, report says
The Toronto Star interviews Dr. Agnieszka Kosny about the findings of her study on the role of health-care providers in workers' compensation and return-to-work.
Published: The Toronto Star, January 2017