4. Work with your employer, doctor, and the WSIB

Asking for an accommodation

You can ask your employer for an “accommodation” that will help you return to work.

An accommodation is anything that helps remove barriers to working. For example:

• changes to your work station, like a stool that lets you stand and sit
• technical aids, like voice-activated software for your computer or a hands-free headset for your phone
• flexibility or changes in your work schedule
• changes to your job description to remove or add tasks

The WSIB can order your employer to accommodate you in your return to work. Your employer can only refuse to do this if they can show that it would cause them what the WSIB calls undue hardship.

If your employer has 20 or more employees and you have been working there for over a year, your employer may have to offer you another job if:

• your doctor says you’re not going to get any better and
• your doctor or other health specialists say you’re not able to do the essential duties of your old job even with accommodation.

Your employer can offer you a part-time job even if you were a full-time employee before your injury or accident. This can happen when your doctor does not think you can return to full-time work or when the WSIB is giving you training to help you work full-time in the future. The WSIB may pay you loss of earnings benefits for 85% of the income you lose by working part-time instead of full-time.

If your employer offers you another type of job, you’ll work with your employer, your doctor, and special case workers at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) to figure out what’s best for you. The WSIB special case worker can also help develop a long-term plan for your return to work.