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
Journal article
Journal article

Association between psychosocial work conditions and latent alcohol consumption trajectories among men and women over a 16-year period in a national Canadian sample

Published: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, January 2018
Journal article
Journal article

Transitions that matter: life course differences in the employment of adults with arthritis

Published: Disability and Rehabilitation, January 2018
Project
Project

Preventing work disability among millennial young adults with rheumatic disease

Status: Ongoing
Project
Project

Tracking long-term outcomes of injured workers in Ontario to better target supports

Status: Completed
Project
Project

Role of accommodations and communication practices in supporting the employment participation of Canadians living with disabilities

Status: Completed 2020
Journal article
Journal article

Effectiveness of workplace interventions in return-to-work for musculoskeletal, pain-related and mental health conditions: an update of the evidence and messages for practitioners

Published: Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, January 2018
Project
Project

Best practices for work disability prevention management systems: a scoping review in support of new Canadian standard

Status: Completed 2019
Illustraion of a crane dropping in the number seven into place among a row of numbers
Impact case study

Seven “principles” used in return-to-work policies and practices

When Ontario legislated in 1997 that employers and workers cooperate in the early and safe return to work of injured workers, the workplace parties were looking for guidance. They found it in the Institute for Work & Health's evidence-based Seven "Principles" for Successful Return to Work, one of the most popular and widely used guides developed by the Institute.
Published: December 2017
A young woman rests her head in her palm, eyes closed
At Work article

Young adults with chronic conditions often struggle to access workplace supports

Young people with arthritis have the same accommodation needs as their older counterparts. But they face a few distinct barriers accessing those workplace supports. Find out why.
Published: November 2017
Journal article
Journal article

Systematic review of prognostic factors for return to work in workers with sub acute and chronic low back pain

Published: Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, September 2017