Workplace accommodations

Introduction

Workplace accommodations are temporary or permanent changes to one or more aspects of work or its environment to promote a healthy and sustainable RTW.

More specifically, these measures are intended to mitigate the gap between an employee’s diminished abilities and the inherent demands of the job (Durand, Corbiere, Coutu, Reinharz, & Albert, 2014). The determination of workplace accommodations is a shared responsibility between management and union or worker representatives.

Please note that some accommodations are governed by local legislation (in Quebec and Canada: see Appendix 4.N). We invite users outside Canada to find out about the existing legislation in their country, state or province.

The choice of workplace accommodations is based on a rigorous analysis of the work demands according to the worker’s temporary or permanent functional limitations and abilities, as well as the employer’s available or possible resources.

The work demands can be evaluated by the employer, the immediate supervisor, the union representative with the help, if possible, of an occupational therapist or an ergonomist who will visit the workstation. Functional limitations and capacities are determined exclusively by health professionals.

Please note:

Privacy and confidentiality are important because workers are not required to disclose their diagnosis. When faced with a worker with a CMD, disclosure can be a sensitive issue.

To help you address this issue methodically…

The Impact of Workplace Accommodations

Workplace accommodations have repercussions on:

• physical and mental integrity: if they are not adapted to the specific needs of the worker, they can place him or her in a situation of risk.
• the social level: the relationships between the worker concerned and his or her work colleagues; there may be a breakdown in social ties.
• and the financial level: maintaining a job or modifying tasks can generate costs for the employer; it is also necessary to take into account the payment of workers’ compensation supplements, training costs, replacement of the workforce or the hiring of an additional person.

All three types of issues must be considered in order to achieve modified and appropriate working conditions (adapted from MacEachen et al., 2006).

How?

By referring to the guidelines related to the workplace accommodation process, adapted from Laflamme (2017):

• Be “flexible” in the accommodation process at work, which may require a reorganization of the workstation or the tasks to be performed;
• Be “innovative” and avoid all rigid rules, which implies identifying temporary (provisional) or permanent accommodations, proposing alternative tasks that are less demanding (physically, cognitively or emotionally), while still having a productive and significant value for the worker;
• Agree with the union or union representative and the worker on a satisfactory arrangement to reach a “reasonable compromise”;
• In the case of temporary or permanent functional limitations, if  there is no position (workstation) available, consider maintaining the employment relationship until a position that fits the worker’s profile becomes available;
• If necessary, offer the worker the opportunity for remedial training.

Two free online tools, developed by Ontario’s Institute for Work & Health (IWH), can help guide you in this direction. They are available in English and French and take about 15 minutes to complete.

• The first tool is for the worker, the « Job Demands and Accommodation Planning Tool (JDAPT) for Workers ». This tool is useful at the « Development of a RTW plan with workplace accommodations’ » stage, where the worker is invited to actively participate in identifying and prioritizing workplace accommodations. A member of the organization, in contact with the worker, can therefore suggest that he or she use the tool before the meetings scheduled for this purpose. This strategy not only has the advantage of involving the worker in the decision-making process, but also prepares him for this meeting, which may be perceived as anxiety-inducing.
• The second tool is aimed at organizations and is entitled « Job Demands and Accommodation Planning Tool (JDAPT) for organizations». This tool is useful at the « Development of a RTW plan with workplace accommodations’ » stage, where organizational players (e.g., immediate supervisor, HR advisor, rehabilitation professionals, ergonomists) are asked to identify and prioritize workplace accommodations.

Both tools provide a list of concrete support ideas related to a worker’s job requirements and needs. They were judged by users to be comprehensive, understandable and relatively easy to complete (Gignac et al., 2023). They should be consulted as a guide, as the legislative context and the reality of the workplaces for which they were developed may differ. If you are looking for additional ideas, or do not wish to use these tools, suggestions for workplace accommodations that may be applicable to MSDs and CMDs are presented in the following section.

Accommodations for MSDs and CMDs

Below are tables of suggested job accommodations that may be applicable to MSDs and CMDs.

The accommodation measures are presented from two angles, i.e., according to two ways of approaching the problem, namely:

1. By broad categories of accommodation (e.g., workstation) and their intended targets (e.g., upper limbs).
2. Or conversely, by target (e.g., stress) and their possible accommodations (e.g. positive encouragement of the worker).

It’s up to you to decide what your preferences are and what works best for your workplace.

The concept of targets will help you customize the RTW plan with workplace accommodations. Each example is accompanied by specific targets, for example, different body regions (MSDs) or, better control of certain symptoms related to CMDs (fatigue, concentration, memory). Although this list is not exhaustive, it allows links to be made between the clinical conditions of workers and the realities of the workplace.

Approach 1: Classification by work accomodation categories

Approche 2 : Classification par cibles spécifiques

Accommodations that can be made by immediate supervisors

• Provide positive reinforcement
• Provide day-to-day guidance and feedback
• Provide written job instructions via email
• Develop clear expectations of responsibilities and the consequences of not meeting performance standards
• Allow for open communication
• Establish written long-term and short-term goals
• Develop strategies to deal with conflicts
• Develop a procedure to evaluate the effectiveness of accommodations
• Educate all employees on their right to accommodations
• Provide awareness training to co-workers and supervisors
• Do not require workers to perform work-related social functions
• Encourage all workers to continue non-work related conversations outside of work areas

Note: this list is adapted from JAN (Job Accommodation Network)

Questions to ask when designing workplace accommodations

• What are the worker’s limitations?
• How do these limitations affect the worker and his or her job performance?
• What specific work tasks are problematic because of these limitations?
• What job accommodations are available to reduce or eliminate these limitations? Are all available resources being used?
• What job accommodations have been successful with this worker in the past? Has the worker been consulted about the proposed accommodations?
• Once job accommodations are in place, would it be useful to meet with the worker to evaluate the effectiveness of these accommodations and determine if additional job accommodations are needed?
• If the possible accommodations are not known or obvious, what internal or external resources are available to find an appropriate accommodation (e.g. occupational therapist, ergonomist)?
• Once the accommodation is made, what other staff do I need to inform (e.g., Do I need to inform security that someone has been granted a flexible work schedule and is likely to work late on certain days)?
• Is training required because of the accommodation?
• How often do I need to follow up to ensure the accommodation is still appropriate?
• Do supervisors and co-workers need education (information, training, coaching, mentoring, advice):
  • to develop strategies to deal with work problems before they arise?
  • to provide awareness training to co-workers?
  • to provide information on counseling and employee assistance programs?
  • to provide training on time management?
  • on community services (e.g., self-help groups)?;
  • on actions to address the basics of physical functioning (e.g., postures, position changes, informal breaks, etc.) and mental functioning (e.g., stress and emotional management)?;
  • on ergonomic concepts?;
  • on workplace interaction patterns (relational aspects, attitudes, communication skills) – See Appendix 4.G?;
  • on professional development?

Note: this list is adapted from JAN (Job Accommodation Network)