Injury & Return to Work
A RETURN-TO-WORK ASSESSMENT AND/OR PLAN IS AN AVENUE TO ASSIST EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED HEALTH OR PSYCHOLOGICAL INCIDENTS RETURN TO PRODUCTIVE EMPLOYMENT IN A TIMELY AND SAFE MANNER:
During an extended leave from employment due to unexpected circumstances, a therapist works with a designate from short or long term disability to explore and produce a plan for an individual to return to work.​
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During this time, the therapist will work with the client to alleviate the psychological barriers that are preventing the client from employment.
Howard & Associates has many experienced therapists that work with individuals who are not attending work for a number of reasons. These clients may be receiving short-term or long-term disability benefits; including WCB.
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Clients may be having difficulty with anxiety, depression, avoidance, pain management, brain injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder due to their employment or their personal life.
We work with the client, the designate from the workplace and other health professionals to address psychological barriers to return to their workplace. We will support you through your journey of healing in a compassionate and supportive manner.
Return-to-work plans are intended to be transitional and have a fixed duration. Permanent actions are defined as accommodation. Return-to-work plans must include the following information:
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The employee’s objectives, to be met gradually until he or she achieves the final goal of fully resuming the job tasks performed before the absence, or, alternately, starting the new job if returning to the former position was not possible. The employee’s abilities, functional limitations and restrictions are taken into account and are to be adjusted according to the employee’s progress.
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The action required to meet these objectives includes the responsibilities of the employee, the manager and all of the co-workers assigned to support the employee.
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The time frame to meet these objectives, which establish the deadline for measuring the employee’s progress. It is important for the plan to have a start and end date. Time frames and expectations must respect the employee’s abilities, be clearly stated for the duration of the plan and be revised as needed.
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To the extent possible, absences for medical checkups must meet the return-to-work plan implementation requirements.
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The return-to-work date and agreed work schedule.
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If applicable, all action to be taken to mitigate identified barriers, e.g., special equipment, required training; and
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The signature of the employee and the manager.
Resource: The Fundamentals - Return-to-Work Plan