Workers actions

Steps in the RTW process	Actions
Time off and recovery period	1. Consult health professionals (e.g., family physician) or other health specialists (e.g., psychologist). 2. Notify your manager of your absence from work as soon as possible. 3. Notify the person responsible for the management of absences and the union representative (if applicable) of your absence. from work in accordance with the organization’s procedures and the collective agreements in effect. 4. Provide the person responsible for the management of absences (or department/person responsible for organization) with all necessary supporting documentation (e.g., the medical certificate/attestation, declaration of work accident or occupational illness) and cooperate in the investigation. Note: The medical certificate/attestation is required to determine the diagnosis and ensure the causal relationship with workplace risk factors. 5. Follow medical recommendations, as prescribed, by the attending physician. 6. Provide the physician and professionals with a detailed description of the type of work and its requirements. 7. Think about which information you would like to share with your manager and your colleagues in regard to your sick leave (i.e., making decision regarding disclosure of your health condition or diagnosis‡).
First contact with the worker by the workplace	Not applicable
Evaluation of the worker (abilities) and his/her work (job demands)	8. Collaborate with stakeholders in the assessment of your situation to establish a good balance between your abilities and the demands of the job. 9. To the extent possible, maintain contact with your manager (or any other representative of the designated employer) and co-workers (or union representative).
Development of a RTW plan with workplace accommodations	10. Take part in the development and validation of your RTW plan with the stakeholders concerned. It is therefore a matter of collaborating with the manager, attending physician, and other rehabilitation clinicians to find solutions. The joint health and safety committee may also participate in. This implies the identifying and prioritizing of work accommodations. 11. Share your perceptions relating to the RTW with the stakeholders concerned (e.g., perceived barriers and reflections on different strategies to overcome them). 12. Commit yourself to seeking means to recover and RTW. 13. Participate actively in the various medical and occupational rehabilitation (e.g., physio, ergo, psych). Note: The meeting with the manager can sometimes be a source of stress for the worker. In order to promote effective communication between the worker and his/her manager (or other person designated by the worker), we suggest the tool entitled “Planning the reintegration into the workplace“, Appendix 4.F. This process can be facilitated by the support of the union representative.
Work resumption (day 1)	14. Notify your manager or RTW coordinator if there are tasks in the RTW plan that are not well suited to current abilities, training, or information needs (e.g., a new procedure), issues or changes in health status that affect work. 15. Ensure that the terms of your RTW plan are respected. 16. Apply the strategies and work accommodations that were identified in the previous phase. When necessary, revise these strategies with the treatment team and employer.
Follow-up of the RTW	17. Participate in the evaluation process of the program or measures implemented by the organization. 18. Actively participate in follow-up meetings with the manager, the RTW coordinator and the other health professionals. 19. Report any difficulties encountered to your manager. This implies to do a follow up about the individual (e.g., dependent children) and organizational factors (e.g., workload) that could affect your job retention. 20. Inform the absence management department of any change in your medical condition that could result in a new absence.