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© Copyright 2000 Rogers Media. The following article first appeared in the February 2001 edition of
BENEFITS CANADA magazine.
Accommodating disability
There is a growing need to address work accommodation as an essential part of disability
management. Formal policies, flexibility and creative team-work are steps in the right direction.
By Kathryn Dorrell
A logging accident rendered Wolfgang Zimmerman a paraplegic in one of his first jobs. Yet, only six months
after that ordeal, he was back working for MacMillan Bloedel in an administrative role. The position was
given to Zimmerman after the company and its union worked together to remove internal obstacles, such as
seniority policies, to get him back on the job.
Zimmerman--who is now executive director of the National Institute of Disability Management and Research
(NIDMAR) in Port Alberny, B.C.--says his case is an example of how effective work accommodation can be.
However, plan sponsors still have a lot of progress to make when it comes to devising job modification
strategies for employees who are returning from a disability leave and are unable to do all of the tasks
required in their prior position.
"The most common work accommodation today is hours adjustment, which is only scratching the surface.
Absolutely there is more that can be done," says Anne Nicol, a consultant with William M. Mercer Limited in
Toronto.
While employers are aware that they have a legal obligation to accommodate workers, "many have a lot of
difficulty" applying the concept, says Catherine Peters, a partner with Hicks, Morley in Toronto.
The need to address the modified work challenge is greater than ever. Disability cases and related
expenditures are on the rise, and Peters says two Supreme Court of Canada rulings in 1999 show that "the
courts expect employers to demonstrate rigorous efforts" to accommodate.
Yvette Young, early intervention and wellness consultant with The Co-operators in Regina, says the first
step is changing the mindset towards disability. She says employers must acknowledge that partial
disabilities exist, and return to work involves rethinking what role the individual can play in the
organization. "There is a myth that the doctor or insurance company will get the employee back to work,"
she adds, emphasizing that employers must be flexible.
"Return to work absolutely should be addressed in the [organization's] sick leave policy and company
philosophy, and be communicated to employees," says Young. Her company won an award last year from NIDMAR
for its early intervention and return-to-work program.
Sandra Pellegrini, a consultant with Aon Consulting in Toronto, adds that staff should be trained in the
return-to-work strategy. She also points out that it's essential to have a consistent approach, a good
reporting structure and accountability.
While consistency is crucial, each case has to be considered individually, says Peters. "There has to be a
fact-based, common sense approach across the organization that is as fair and equitable as it can be."
Other tools that employers can draw on include physical and non-physical skills assessments that
objectively determine what an individual can do. It's also helpful to get input from the returning
employee, as well as their co-workers and supervisor when devising the job modification strategy and
assessing its impact on others, says Nicol.
More than anything, modified work must be a community affair. "What is missing today is a true partnership
between all the stakeholders--employees, unions, the various parties in the organization, the medical
community and the insurance company or adjudicator," says Pellegrini.
"There is never an easy answer," says Zimmerman of work accommodation. "There has to be a lot of will and
you have to look at all the options. We all have a lot more to do."
Kathryn Dorrell is associate editor with BENEFITS CANADA.
kdorrell@rmpublishing.com.
CONFERENCES
Essentials of Canadian Public Service Benefits
May 1 and 2, 2001
Chateau Laurier, Ottawa
This two-day session presented by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans will provide
participants with a broad understanding of the issues affecting public sector trustees in Canada. Call
(888) 334-3327 or visit www.ifebp.org.
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