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

A healthcare worker in scrubs and a mask walks to work with her bag and phone in-hand.
Research Highlights

Workers with COVID-19 had better return-to-work rates than others during the pandemic

During the pandemic, workers who contracted COVID-19 from work had better return-to-work rates 18 months later than those with other conditions. Most traditional return-to-work factors, however, did not explain the difference in rates.
Published: July 14, 2026
Close-up of a woman in a hard hat
Sharing Best Evidence

Workplace-based return-to-work interventions: summary of a systematic review

What workplace-based return-to-work interventions are effective and under what conditions? This systematic review examines both qualitative and quantitative studies.
Published: January 2004
Systematic Review
Systematic Review

Workplace-based return-to-work interventions: a systematic review of the quantitative and qualitative literature (overview)

Employers, insurers and workers have expressed a growing interest in workplace-based return-to-work (RTW) intervention studies. To provide a comprehensive summary of the most effective workplace-based RTW interventions and to direct future research priorities in this area, the Institute for Work & Health conducted a systematic review of the return-to-work literature published since 1990, and the findings are summarized in this overview.
Published: January 2004
Project
Project

Workplace-based return-to-work interventions: a systematic review of the quantitative and qualitative literature

Status: Completed 2004
Project
Project

Prognostic factors for workers' time away from work due to acute low-back pain: a systematic review update

Status: Completed 2011