Appendix 4.L – About the RTW Coordinator

The RTW coordinator is a resource person for the workers, the supervisor and the union or union representative regarding RTW support. The RTW coordinator is responsible for coordinating all actions related to an employee’s RTW process. This person may or may not work within the organization, each option having its advantages and disadvantages. Working inside the organization, he or she will be more familiar with the organization and the worker. On the other hand, by working outside the organization, he or she will be perceived as being more neutral with respect to the process. In all cases, it is the person’s skills rather than his or her job title that should be considered when identifying the person (Durand, Coutu, Nastasia et Bernier, 2016; Shaw, Hong, Pransky et Loisel, 2008).

The RTW coordinator actions can be taken by different actors. According to Durand et al. 2016, in Quebec (n = 195), the most common are:

  1. the director, coordinator or HR advisor from the HR department (59%);
  2. the department head, coordinator or occupational health and safety advisor (45%)
  3. compensation, payroll and/or benefits officer (23%)
  4. workplace attendance personnel officer (17%)
  5. nurse (10%)

A rehabilitation counselor from the insurer may also be involved. More recently, the union representative has also been formally involved as a RTW coordinator in a disability management policy in the hospital sector in Ontario (Mustard et al., 2017).

Read more:

  • Durand, M.-J., Coutu, M.-F., Nastasia, I. et Bernier, M. (2016). Pratiques des grandes organisations au Québec en regard de la coordination du retour au travail (Rapport n° R-934). Montréal, QC: IRSST. Tiré de http://www.irsst.qc.ca/media/documents/pubirsst/R-934.pdf
  • Durand, M.-J., Coutu, M.-F., Nastasia, I. et Bernier, M. (2017). Return-to-work coordination practices of large organizations in Québec (Rapport n° R-972). Montréal, QC: IRSST. Tiré de http://www.irsst.qc.ca/media/documents/pubirsst/R-972.pdf
  • Mustard, C. A., Skivington, K., Lay, M., Lifshen, M., Etches, J. et Chambers, A. (2017). Implementation of a disability management policy in a large healthcare employer: A quasi-experimental, mixed-methods evaluation. BMJ Open, 7. Tiré de
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5541574/pdf/bmjopen-2016-014734.pdf
  • Shaw, W., Hong, Q. N., Pransky, G. et Loisel, P. (2008). A literature review describing the role of return-to-work coordinators in trial programs and interventions designed to prevent workplace disability. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 18(2), 2-15