Job accommodation
Job accommodations, through modifications or adjustments to job processes, work environments and/or work schedules, are a key component of stay-at-work and return-to-work programs that are designed to ensure workers with work- or non-work-related injuries or illnesses (physical or mental) are able to sustain their employment. IWH conducts a wide range of research in this area, exploring barriers and facilitators to successful job accommodation, as well as disclosure of disability and other complex issues surrounding the accommodation of injured or ill workers.
Featured
At Work article
Police service members face challenges with accommodation, communication and trust when returning to work after an injury
A recent IWH study examined the experiences of sworn and civilian Ontario police service members returning to their jobs after experiencing an injury or illness. It found their RTW challenges revolved around five main themes.
Published: September 18, 2023
At Work article
How government funding can best support the employment of persons with disabilities
What kind of government funding best encourages employers to hire and retain persons with disabilities? A research team at the Institute for Work & Health recently explored this question.
Published: May 4, 2022
Journal article
Journal article
Getting the message right: evidence-based insights to improve organizational return-to-work communication practices
Published: Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, February 2021
Journal article
Journal article
Disability and sex/gender intersections in unmet workplace support needs: findings from a large Canadian survey of workers
Published: American Journal of Industrial Medicine, February 2021
Journal article
Journal article
Online resources supporting workers with chronic episodic disabilities: an environmental scan
Published: International Journal of Workplace Health Management, January 2021
At Work article
Workplaces face many complex challenges when managing episodic disabilities: study
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
Journal article
Journal article
Disability severity, leader-member exchange, and attitudinal outcomes: considering the employee and supervisor perspectives
Published: Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, March 2020
Journal article
Journal article
Workplace accommodations following work-related mild traumatic brain injury: what works?
Published: Disability and Rehabilitation, February 2020
Journal article
Journal article
The participation of people with disabilities in the workplace across the employment cycle: employer concerns and research evidence
Published: Journal of Business and Psychology, January 2020
Journal article
Journal article
Communication and collaboration among return-to-work stakeholders
Published: Disability & Rehabilitation, November 2019
At Work article
Addressing communication issues faced by supervisors, case managers key to well-run RTW process
Disability management depends on communication, and according to an IWH study, in large and complex organizations, communication "bottlenecks" tend to converge around two roles in particular: front-line supervisors and case managers.
Published: October 2019
At Work article
Raising awareness about caregiver supports results in savings for employer: study
It's one thing to have workplace policies to support employees with unpaid caregiving duties at home. It's another to raise awareness about such policies among staff and their supervisors. That alone can result in savings for the employer, according to a new cost-benefit analysis.
Published: July 2019