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

A police officer with their back turned faces a group of people walking around.
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
Row of diverse persons with disabilities
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
Two workers at a window shutters manufacturing shop floor
At Work article

Despite pain and fatigue, older workers with chronic conditions want to work to age 65

Having a health condition or a chronic disease can be challenging for older workers, but it doesn't necessarily decrease their desire to work and retire at about the same age as healthy peers, finds an IWH study of retirement expectations.
Published: July 2019
The Conversation logo
IWH in the media

Employers miss out on talent by overlooking workers living with disabilities

One reason for the lower employment participation rates of people with disabilities is that employers often have prohibitive concerns and pessimistic ideas about hiring people with disabilities. But research conducted as part of the Canadian Disability Participation Project, by a team that includes IWH's Dr. Arif Jetha, suggests that many of the most common employer concerns about hiring people with disabilities are unfounded, writes project lead Dr. Silvia Bonnacio.
Published: The Conversation, July 2019
Journal article
Journal article

Impact of a caregiver-friendly workplace policies intervention: a prospective economic evaluation

Published: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, June 2019
Vector diagram of three hands each holding a differently coloured puzzle piece
Tools and guides

Supporting return to work among employees with musculoskeletal or mental health conditions: an evidence-based practical resource

This resource synthesizes the research evidence on the practical solutions that workplaces can implement (in conjunction with workers' compensation, insurance and health-care authorities) to support the return to work of employees with musculoskeletal disorders or mental health conditions.
Published: May 2019
Journal article
Journal article

Concerns about claiming, postclaim support, and return to work planning: the workplace's impact on return to work

Published: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, April 2019
Journal article
Journal article

Supporting the transition into employment: a study of Canadian young adults living with disabilities

Published: Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, March 2019
Canadian Occupational Safety logo
IWH in the media

Tailored support effective for young workers with disabilities

Young adults today have difficulty entering the labour market, especially those with chronic disabling conditions. A systematic review of the relevant research found tailored supported employment interventions can help young individuals with chronic disabilities succeed on the job, Amanda Silliker reports.
Published: Canadian Occupational Safety, February 2019
A tired worker holds her head in her hands as she sits at her desk in a dark office
At Work article

Boomers with and without chronic conditions have similar needs for workplace supports

Yes, older workers with diabetes or arthritis experience fatigue and pain. But they're not that different from healthy peers in how much they need, or use, workplace accommodations, an IWH study has found.
Published: February 2019
A young woman sits in front of the desk of an older man in a suit and tie, both smiling
At Work article

Supported job placements help young adults with disabilities find work: review

Job placements, offered in tandem with a suite of tailored employment supports, can help young people with disabilities make the transition into the labour force, according to an IWH systematic review.
Published: February 2019