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Practices of Return-to-Work Coordinators Working in Large Organizations

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Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose Although the role of return-to-work coordinators (RTW coordinators) is associated with reducing long-term disabilities, little has been written about their practices. The objective of this study was to clearly identify their tasks and activities and the stakeholders with whom they collaborate. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a web-based self-administered questionnaire. Participant inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) working for a large organization with 500 or more employees; (2) being responsible for managing disabilities and coordinating the return-to-work process; and (3) having been involved in coordinating the return to work of at least one person in the past year. Results 195 RTW coordinators completed the questionnaire. The three tasks or activities rated as most important were applying laws, policies, and regulations related to work absences and return to work; contacting the absent worker; and planning the return to work. A nursing or occupational health and safety training background significantly influenced the RTW coordinators’ practices. In addition, RTW coordinators collaborated mainly with workers and their supervisors. Conclusion Despite a wide variety of contexts and diverging definitions of competencies, a set of common RTW coordination practices appears to exist across industrialized countries. RTW coordinators with a training background in the health field seem better able to assimilate the various dimensions of work disability. Moreover, concerted action was found to be minimal and a far cry from recommendations. The practices defined could serve as a benchmark for describing RTW coordinators’ responsibilities in greater detail and allow for cross-organization and cross-country comparisons.

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Acknowledgments

This study was financed by the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST).

Funding

This study was funded by the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) (Grant number 2012-0005).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Action in Work Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation, School of Rehabilitation, Université de Sherbrooke, 150 Place Charles LeMoyne, Longueuil, QC, J4K 0A8, Canada

    Marie-José Durand, Marie-France Coutu & Michael Bernier

  2. Institut de Recherche Robert Sauvé en Santé et en Sécurité du Travail, 505 Boulevard de Maisonneuve O, Montréal, QC, Canada

    Iuliana Nastasia

Authors
  1. Marie-José Durand
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  2. Iuliana Nastasia
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  3. Marie-France Coutu
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  4. Michael Bernier
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Correspondence to Marie-José Durand.

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Conflict of interest

Marie-José Durand declares that she has no conflict of interest. Iuliana Nastasia declares that she has no conflict of interest. Marie-France Coutu declares that she has no conflict of interest. Michael Bernier declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Research Ethics Committee of the Research Centre of Charles Le Moyne Hospital in Longueuil, Quebec.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Durand, MJ., Nastasia, I., Coutu, MF. et al. Practices of Return-to-Work Coordinators Working in Large Organizations. J Occup Rehabil 27, 137–147 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-016-9640-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-016-9640-7

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