1. Selected topics

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

Speakers address participants at IDEA Symposium
At Work article

Inclusive employment strategies, resources showcased at symposium

Published: November 12, 2025
Two office workers sit at their computer workstations late into the night
At Work article

Sex/gender analysis: Gender study finds overwork linked to higher risks of diabetes in women, not men

Working too long increases risks of diabetes—for women, not men—IWH and ICES study finds.
Published: August 2018
A supervisor has a supportive chat with a worker
At Work article

Supervisors who react with support can help injured workers return to the job

When a worker gets injured, does the supervisor react with blame and skepticism or with empathy and support? The reaction can make a difference to the worker's return-to-work outcomes.
Published: August 2018
Journal article
Journal article

The role of healthcare providers in return to work

Published: International Journal of Disability Management, August 2018
Journal article
Journal article

Psychosocial work factors and diabetes: what is known and what is left to know?

Published: Journal of Diabetes, Metabolic Disorders & Control, August 2018
Members of a hospital committee listen to presentation by female health care worker
At Work article

Collaborative return-to-work program helps hospital lower injury claims, duration: study

An Ontario acute-care hospital and its unions set out to tackle high injury and disability claims rates by developing a collaborative return-to-work program. And according to an IWH implementation study, the results are promising.
Published: July 2018
Journal article
Journal article

Adverse effect of long work hours on incident diabetes in 7065 Ontario workers followed for 12 years

Published: BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, July 2018
CNN logo
IWH in the media

Hard-working women, go home earlier to avoid this disease

Here's a good reason for women to work less, ask for a raise or get their partners to pick up around the house more: If women work fewer hours, it'll lower their risk of diabetes, according to a study by the Institute for Work & Health, reports CNN's Jen Christensen.
Published: CNN, July 2018
US News & World Report logo
IWH in the media

Working overtime could raise women's diabetes risk

Working lots of overtime may get you appreciation from the boss, but it might be bad for your health, writes Serena Gordon of U.S. News & World Report, about a new IWH study
Published: U.S. News & World Report, July 2018
Journal article
Journal article

Self-reported work conditions in Canada: examining changes between 2002 and 2012

Published: Canadian Journal of Public Health, July 2018
IWH Speaker Series
IWH Speaker Series

Challenges in accommodating mental and physical health conditions: What workplace parties are saying

In this presentation, Dr. Monique Gignac shares findings from a study examining organizational perspectives on implementing work disability prevention and management practices, as well as key issues in supporting workers with chronic, episodic conditions.
Published: June 2018