Return to Work Plan

Return to work (RTW) is an important aspect of recovery. Studies have shown that workers often recover faster if they participate in alternate or modified work rather than recovering at home. RTW aims to prevent secondary conditions, not originally associated with the primary injury or illness (e.g., weight gain, loss of motivation, change in sleep habits, depression) which hinder recovery. Secondary conditions have greater potential for developing; the longer an injured worker is away from the work environment. The below graph shows the likelihood of return to work goes down the longer the person is off work. If the person is not back by:

  • 20 days the chance of getting back to work is 70%
  • 45 days the chance of getting back to work is 50%
  • 70 days the chance of getting back to work is 35%

Return to work recognizes that while injured or ill workers may not be able to do their original jobs, they can make valuable contributions to the workplace. Alternate work is considered to be duties or job tasks not normally performed by an injured worker. Modified duties can include, but is not limited to, changes to the work environment, work hours, tools and equipment used, and job design.

Return to work forms/documentation are a critical communication tool between all stakeholders involved in an employee’s leave from the workplace. Ensure all fields of the RTW template are complete accurately and are reviewed/updated as needed to provide the most current information. These should be developed with input from medical, the employee, and the manager/HRBP to ensure appropriateness for the workplace and to develop buy-in.

All RTWs should be sent to the employee, the manager (manager can distribute as appropriate within facility), payroll/scheduling (without restrictions/limitations), and the insurer (if insurer attached). Some unions require formal RTW meetings to be conducted, while others you provide them a copy of the RTW.

Union articles

  • CUPE Article 31.08 and 31.09
  • SGEU Article 17.08
  • HSAS Article 12.10
  • SEIU-West Article 4.05
  • SUN Article 18.12

Modified duties

Modified duties are our primary way of keeping an employee attached directly to the employer during their recovery. In most circumstances after the onset of an acute injury the employee can return to work with some functional restrictions/limitations, but these will not impede their ability to do every aspect of their work.

The challenge here may be education with leaders. Some leaders find supporting staff who are participating in modified work cumbersome; however it is very beneficial for both the workplace and the employee. Our role within Accommodations and Attendance Management is to support this change in practice and bring an individual back as soon as possible. This is not to have the employee sit with limited activities to do, but to provide meaningful tasks which better the conditions of the workplace (i.e., support tasks of coworkers) or support the patients/residents that we all ultimately serve.