Over the years we’ve become very good at establishing appropriate accommodations when someone has a physical injury such as a sore back, or repetitive strain injury (RSI) but we need to get great at accommodating those with mental health issues.

This seems to be a relatively new concept, one that is still yet to be adopted by most employers but definitely crucial in our ability to help employees recover and contain production and financial loss to all stake holders, and whether this is WSIB and/or short term disability.

While most organizations have completed and updated their physical demands analysis (PDA) of their employee positions, it is time to go back and add cognitive demands – to assist those requiring an accommodation due to a mental health disorder or disease, return to work in a timely manner.

With more and more claims arising around mental health, we – all health care professionals – need to become proficient in managing a return to work sooner, rather than later.

In my early years of occupational health nursing, it was very common for a doctor to prescribe bed rest for a sore back, or unable to work due to a RSI. It was with time, knowledge and research that we’ve realized staying home on bedrest isn’t always the best answer for sore backs (of course, it depends on the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis) nor is staying home great for RSIs especially with the availability of modified or alternate work.

Presently with mental health issues, we seem to be in the same predicament as we were years ago. Staying home, away from work is being prescribed all too often for too long of a period of time (this does not apply to every situation depending on the extent of the diagnosis). While we know staying home with a back injury, can lead to secondary diagnoses, potentially leading to anxiety and depression while off work, what happens to those with mental health claims when they stay off work? What is their secondary diagnosis? Can we actually make their condition worse by leaving them at home, away from their colleagues, away from their work and from returning to a gradually productive life where they can feel good about the value they bring to the organization and to themselves despite maybe not returning to their essential duties? How do they recover staying away?

The research is available regarding expediting a return to work to avoid many secondary issues from being injured or ill but we just don’t seem to be applying it to mental health issues. We need to become more proactive and consider an earlier return to work with cognitive restrictions that keep the employees safe at work when mental health issues are involved. There is no question that there are many variables involved in a return to wok, and timing for a return to work may be even more crucial when it involves a mental health claim but it is just as important if not more important, that a return to work is discussed early with the physician and the employee.

As time goes on, I’m sure that this discussion regarding return to work for mental health issues will become much more focused and timely for the health of all stakeholders. This subject is worth talking about in your organizations and with the insurance carriers so that an agreement on how to manage the claim and contain the extent of loss to all becomes a part of your return to work process and accommodations.

Lucie M.H. Fournier RN, COHN(C), BA (Psych)
Founder/Workplace Health Strategist

With over 30 years of experience in disability management, and a return on investment on average of 1:7, Fournier disAbility & Health provides customized and results oriented services in Absenteeism Management including Attendance, Sick Time/Short, Long Term Disability, and WSIB claims for employers across Ontario.

Expertise in 5 distinct niches of disAbility management include:
1. Complex claims management resolution
2. Mental health claim return to work & accommodations
3. Advanced level training for internal claims manager to make a significant impact on the health of the employee and wealth of the organization
4. Transitional Leadership when moving to & from a 3rd party disAbility Management company
5. Sensitive claims & disAbility management of professional staff, such as HR, health team, and/or executives such as supervisors, managers, directors