Glossary(232)

A person’s capabilities to carry out a physical or mental activity.  

A person’s capability to perform a job.  

Absence from the workplace when one’s presence is expected.  

An action is a concrete fact, realized individually or in interaction with other actors.

A person who is called upon to assist in the RTW process.  

Adapted and translated from St-Vincent et al, 2011

A worker who is 45 years of age or older, mid-way through his/her working life and likely to run into difficulties performing his/her work or finding a job. Term often used interchangeably with older worker.

Biological categories defining a man or a woman (reproductive organs, hormones, etc.). 

Joint process that consists of studying, planning, implementing, coordinating, supervising, and evaluating the options and services required to meet an individual’s health needs.  

Characterizes a persistent and ongoing pathological condition, as opposed to a recurrent illness or injury that gives rise to repeated relapses interspersed with periods of remission. 

Persistence of a health condition that can affect a worker’s ability to return to work and stay at work. 

This is an essential element for a cooperative structure to be established and maintained.

Mental disorder occurring frequently in the population. Includes mood, anxiety and adjustment disorders.  

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Acquiescence given to a project; decision not to oppose it.  

Translated from Le Robert  

Consists in evaluating the adequacy of the tool’s dimensions to the theoretical construct/concept. Validation by exploratory factor analysis consists of extracting, from a pool of items, one or more factors (or dimensions) composed of strongly intercorrelated items. Validation by confirmatory factor analysis makes it possible to confirm or refute these groupings of items (or dimensions) using a different sample (adapted and translated from Corbière and Fraccaroli, 2020).

Consists of verifying whether the results of the tool are similar to the results of other tools measuring similar constructs/concepts. The more positively correlated the results of the tools are, the higher the convergent validity (adapted and translated from Corbière and Fraccaroli, 2020).

Decision latitude refers to the margin of manoeuver or leeway available to workers in their work (Karasek, 1979). It is defined as the possibility workers have to participate in decision making that concerns them, and to use and fully develop their skills in their work environment (Karasek, 1979). In summary, it means the possibility workers have to be actors, rather than simply passive participants, in their work.

Psychological and/or physical condition manifested in an irrepressible and recurrent need that is never truly met. May be related to product consumption (alcohol, tobacco, psychotropic drugs, etc.) or to a behaviour (gambling, Internet use, etc.). 

Restriction in ability to perform an activity in a particular way or within limits that are considered normal for a human being.

A state of temporary or permanent physical or mental incapacity resulting from an illness or accident, which prevents a person from carrying out all or part of his or her professional activities and receiving remuneration.

All the actions needed to ensure follow-up during a period of sick leave for health reasons.  

Situation resulting from the interaction between personal factors (e.g. impairment, disability) and environmental factors.

Occurs when a distinction, exclusion or preference based on certain characteristics enumerated in the Charters of Human Rights and Freedoms such as handicap, ethnic origin, sex or age nullifies or impairs the rights and freedoms of an individual or group of individuals.  

Obtention of the outcomes anticipated.  

Relationship between the outcomes obtained and the means used.  

Condition of a person who feels overwhelmed by a request to adapt or by any other situation. May be exhibited in the form of a depressive or anxious mood, irritability, or difficulty paying attention and concentrating.  

Ethnic or cultural identity that characterizes a group or an individual and the cultural models that may represent them/him/her; the fact of belonging to such a group. Identity may be confirmed (self-/collective awareness), assigned or institutional.  

Related to ethnicity.

Evidence is data derived from research to inform health care decision making. However, there are differing opinions on what constitutes evidence, namely whether it comes from :  

• of any research, taken individually;  
• of the best research, taken collectively;  

• best research, but also taking into account empirical data (experience and expertise of practitioners or actors) and the characteristics, needs, interests and values of participants.  

Our position is related to the second option (better research, taken collectively), particularly to help identify the most effective interventions, but also recognizing the value of empirical data in defining workplace practices and the opinions of our social partners (monitoring committee).  

Conscientious, explicit and sound use of the best available knowledge when making decisions about interventions or the management approach to be used with a given individual.  

Based on a summary assessment of the appearance (clarity and ease of completion) of the tool by respondents or experts. The more items appear to measure the construct to respondents or experts, the higher the face validity (adapted and translated from Corbière & Fraccaroli, 2020).  

Physical or psychological restriction, either temporary or permanent, likely to impair a person’s usual way of functioning or to aggravate his/her condition.  

Correlation between sexual identity and the construction of social roles. May bring to light phenomena such as the sexual division of labour and unequal power relationships.  

Period of rehabilitation that allows a worker to perform all the tasks involved in the job he/she held prior to his/her disability, but according to a different schedule and using different work methods, thus enabling him/her to reintegrate into work on a gradual basis.  

Factor that influences the health of a population, without necessarily being a direct cause of specific problems or illnesses. Associated with personal and collective behaviours as well as living and environmental conditions.  

Person who has left his/her country of origin to settle in another country for an indefinite time. In Canada, refers to a person born abroad who has been granted permission to settle here permanently (landed immigrant, permanent resident). 

Phenomenon in which a person/group of people leaves their country of origin to settle in another country.

Loss, absence or change in a structure or a psychological, physiological or anatomical function.  

Degree of homogeneity of the items of a tool and its dimensions (adapted and translated from Corbière and Fraccaroli, 2020)

Taking action or participating in an action to resolve a problem.  

Work rehabilitation measure that may be granted to a worker to enable him/her to perform his/her job, an equivalent job, or another job deemed to be suitable.  

Health literacy implies the achievement of a level of knowledge, personal skills and confidence to take action to improve personal and community health by changing personal lifestyles and living conditions.

https://www.who.int/activities/improving-health-literacy

All the practices, programs and behaviours adopted by an organization to provide a framework for and optimize each worker’s contribution to the organization.

Illness characterized by a clinically significant disturbance in a person’s cognition, emotional regulation or behaviour and that reflects the presence of a dysfunction in his/her psychological, biological or developmental processes.

Ability of the mental structures to function harmoniously, comfortably and effectively and to cope flexibly with difficult situations, allowing balance to be restored.

Term used interchangeably with mental illness or mental disorder.

Alterations in thoughts, mood or behaviour (or a combination of all three), accompanied by persistent dysfunction over a long period. Symptoms vary from mild to serious, depending on the type of mental illness, the person, his/her family and the socio-economic environment. 

Psychological and physical processes responsible for triggering, maintaining and stopping a behaviour, as well as the incentive or disincentive value attributed to the aspects of the environment on which the behaviouracts. 

All symptoms and inflammatory or degenerative lesions of the locomotor system affecting a variety of anatomical structures (such as tendons, muscles, ligaments or joints).  

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Risk factor or problem/situation that currently hinders the return-to-work process. 

Company, organization, work environment  

Refers to the way in which the work activities are structured and combined and in which jobs are managed within an organization in line with its mission and objectives.

Quantification or evaluation of the effects.

Said of a process focused on analysis of the work, generally by an ergonomist in the workplace, and requiring the involvement of the workers and other concerned actors in the development and implementation of solutions.  

Actor (individual or group) that joins forces with another to attain a common objective, whether they are stakeholders or not.

All the individual behaviours that an organization expects of a worker and that have a positive impact on the attainment of objectives: productivity, creativity, profitability, growth, quality, customer satisfaction.

Inability to perform an occupational activity for good (permanently).  

Consists of verifying whether the results of the tool predict one or more criteria measured later. The more correlated the results are with the criteria, the higher the predictive validity. It is used when the purpose of the instrument is to predict criterion performance (adapted and translated from Corbière and Fraccaroli, 2020).  

The expected requirements for performing work. Work to be done within a set timeframe and under certain conditions.

Phenomenon in which an employee is present at work when his/her physical or mental condition does not allow him/her to work to full capacity.

Processes designed to prevent, limit or deal with the scope and severity of the consequences of the materialization of a risk or danger.

All the actions that help reduce risk or act on factors that may contribute to rendering a worker unable to return to work on a long-term basis.  

All the actions designed both to reduce the occurrence of work disability and to resolve it (or make it disappear).  

Relationship between output and the resources used.

Personal or environmental resource or condition that helps preserve people’s health.

Mental illness or condition that disturbs a person’s behaviour.  

Term used in the context of psychological health in the workplace. Depending on how it is defined, may be used interchangeably with mental health.  

Cognitive, affective, relational or environmental factor likely to have an impact on workers’ health.

Risk factor pertaining to how the work is organized, management practices, working conditions, and social relations that may have an adverse effect on the psychological or physical health of the individuals exposed.

Translated from https://www.inspq.qc.ca/formation/institut/risques-psychosociaux-au-travail-de-l-identification-la-prevention

The work actually performed.

Recurrence of a sick leave for the same reason as for a prior sick leave within a given period.

Physical and psychological capacities a worker is left with following an injury or illness and after completing rehabilitation.  

The moment when the person resumes his/her job (MIST-CAPRIT, 2017). On this website, RT is intended to be healthy and sustainable, i.e., respectful of the improvement of the worker’s health status, which does not lead to worsening of the injury or potential relapses, and promotes job retention

A person’s attribute, characteristic or exposure that increases the probability of him/her contracting an illness or sustaining an injury.

Factor likely to compromise a worker’s long-term ability to return to his/her work.  

All the actions required to prevent, reduce, and monitor employees’ sick leave for a health problem.  

Actively at work, being present at work, participating in a productive activity.

Phenomenon in which a stigma is attributed, i.e. an identity or attribute that debases the person to whom it is attributed.

A person’s perception that the amount of work required is greater than his/her capacity allows.

https://www.cnesst.gouv.qc.ca/en/prevention-and-safety/healthy-workplace/return-work/temporary-assignment

Inability to perform an occupational activity for a short time (temporarily).

Stability of the tool’s results over time in cases where participants’ conditions have not changed. The more positively correlated the results of the two runs are, the higher the test-retest reliability.

Measure involving the gradual resumption of tasks, offered in the context of a work rehabilitation program in the real workplace and under the weekly supervision of an occupational therapist and/or interdisciplinary team.  

In Canada, these terms are coloured by a legal and juridical context. The following definition (MIST-CAPRIT, 2017) provides a summary.

Inability to perform an occupational activity. To know more about it  

All the physical, psychological and social conditions in which the worker performs his/her job and makes his/her contribution.

All the actions taken to facilitate a person’s return to work, following a period of disability.  

Search for balance between demands associated with work-related responsibilities and those associated with personal, family or social responsibilities and activities.  

A person who, based on sociodemographic or occupational characteristics and the potentially related work contexts, runs a higher risk of occupational injury or long-term disability.  

Contribution made by each worker to the results achieved by an organization, in exchange for remuneration. Defined on the basis of the person’s job description.

Amount of cognitive, physical and/or emotional effort expended by a worker to perform his/her job.