Return to Work

Return to work is an important part of the claims process

Whether an injury is physical or psychological, work is part of a healthy recovery. In fact, most workplace injuries don’t need to result in time away from work—especially when supports and accommodations are in place early. Work is an important part of overall health, from physical and mental health, to financial and social health. It's is good for all of us, and it’s good for business. Helping a worker return to work after injury reduces claims costs which helps to reduce your WCB rates.

That’s why we focus on helping employers and workers find an early and safe path back to work.

Talk about transitional work

Talk about transitional work—temporary duties—the worker can do while they recover. With most injuries, these conversations can happen right away.

Your goal is to help the worker keep working while they recover or come back to work if time away is needed.

The transitional work needs to have 3 components:

• Allows the worker to safely work while recovering.
• Suits the worker’s abilities—focusing on what they can do, not what they can’t.
• Must be meaningful and productive.

Work. Together.

Return to work is not just part of the process —it’s part of the law. You and your employee have a legal obligation under the Workers’ Compensation Act to work together in the return-to-work process. This is called Duty to Cooperate and means you must: 

• Contact the worker as soon as possible after the injury occurs.
• Maintain communication throughout recovery and full return to work.
• Establish a return-to-work plan.
• Attempt to provide suitable, available work that, where possible, restores the worker’s pre-injury earnings.
• Provide WCB with any requested information about return to work.

Employers who don’t meet their obligations may be charged penalties.

Transitional work examples

Transitional work is all about adjusting a worker’s regular duties or assigning temporary tasks they can do safely while healing. For example, you might reduce physical demands or offer a role that can be done while sitting instead of standing.

Transitional work generally falls into two categories: modified transitional work or alternate transitional work.

Modified transitional work

Modified transitional work means adjusting parts of the worker’s existing job so they can continue to do it safely. You can provide supports, tools, or changes to make the work safer while they recover. Even small changes can enable a worker to keep working.

Examples:

• Setting a weight limit on lifting tasks
• Providing a chair for a worker who normally stands all day
• Allowing part-time hours instead of full shifts

Alternate transitional work

Alternate transitional work means assigning the worker to different tasks, possibly in another area of your business. This way, they can stay productive while avoiding work that could delay recovery.

Examples:

• A truck driver temporarily working in dispatch
• A factory worker training new staff instead of working on the production floor
• An EMT updating safety manuals instead of responding in the field

Share this booklet on understanding transitional work (PDF) with your workers.

Transitional work for psychological injuries

Workers recovering from psychological injuries are no different from workers with physical injuries: they will also benefit from accommodations to help them safely heal and recover in the work environment. Examples include:

• Adjusting workload
• Providing additional breaks
• Limiting exposure to stress
• Modifications to the work environment

Learn more about transitional work for gradual onset psychological injuries.

Stay connected. Build trust.

It’s important to stay connected with workers as they return to work. Make a point of checking in regularly on their progress. Continue to provide or adjust accommodations as needed.

The return-to-work team

You and the worker have the biggest role in this. It’s about you and the worker collaborating on what works best for them AND for your workplace. The WCB is here to support you both and we understand a successful return-to-work plan can be a team effort.

The return-to-work team includes:

• You, the employer. It’s up to you to create an environment that supports the injured worker in their recovery. Most importantly, you need to work with the worker and their health care provider to identify and provide transitional work. If the worker needs time away from work due to the injury, stay connected to them, keep them included, and monitor their progress while you work towards an early and safe return-to-work plan.
• The worker. The injured worker is at the heart of the team. As the person who is injured, and who does the work, they are the best person to suggest what’s needed to support them in returning. Talk to them! The worker also has a duty to get treatment and to collaborate in return-to-work planning.
• The WCB case worker . The case worker is your main point of contact at the WCB. Their job is manage the injury claim in a fair and objective way. They coordinate and manage all financial benefits and health services for the worker. The case worker will work with all the team members to help get a return-to-work plan in place. This may involve a case conference where everyone on the team meets to come up with the plan.
• The worker’s health care provider. These are the people who diagnose and provide treatment. For sprain or strain type injuries, the health care provider is often a physiotherapist or chiropractor. Other health care providers can also be part of the return to work team depending on the type of injury. The health care providers job is to understand your work environment and job demands, to determine what work can be safely done with the workers specific injury.

Talk to your WCB Case Worker

Along the way, you may have questions or concerns about a step in the process. For example, you need help understanding transitional work options. Keeping good communication with your worker is always important, and you can reach out to your case worker for support. They’re here to help.

Resources:

Return to Work Planning Guide (PDF)

Supporting a Worker in their Return to Work (PDF)

Job Demands and Accommodation Planning Tool 

Webinars:

Accommodation - Tips and Best Practices 

Summary:

• Introduces the Duty to Cooperate legislation effective July 15, emphasizing employer and worker accountability in return-to-work planning.
• Highlights the importance of communication, early engagement, and flexibility in accommodating injured workers, including both physical and psychological injuries.
• Explains the hierarchy of accommodations: starting with modified pre-injury duties, then alternate work, transitional duties, and maintaining workplace connection if full duties are not possible.
• Clarifies key concepts such as meaningful work, job function vs. job tasks, restrictions vs. limitations, and aligning worker abilities with job demands.
• Provides resources and tools (e.g., Working to Well website, JDAP toolkit) to support employers and workers in creative and safe return-to-work planning.

Intended Audience:

• Employers, supervisors, HR professionals, case managers, and workers in Nova Scotia navigating workplace injury accommodations and return-to-work processes.

Return to Work: Getting Back is Part of Getting Better

Summary:

• Introduces return to work (RTW) programs, emphasizing the importance of minimizing the impact of workplace injuries on employees’ lives and families.
• Highlights early intervention, ongoing communication, and education as critical factors for reducing injury severity and lost time.
• Discusses transitional duties and proactive planning, encouraging employers to prepare modified tasks before injuries occur to support injured workers effectively.
• Stresses the value of a designated return to work coordinator to oversee processes, ensure accountability, and maintain efficiency.
• Emphasizes establishing direct access relationships with healthcare providers for faster assessments and treatment, improving outcomes for both workers and employers.

Intended Audience:

• Employers, supervisors, managers, HR personnel, and safety professionals seeking to implement or improve return to work programs and reduce the impact of workplace injuries on employees.