Session #1 November 10th, 11:00-1:00 NL time

Welcome, housekeeping and a brief overview of the rationale and objectives of the Dialogue (Barbara Neis, Dept. of Sociology, and SafetyNet, Memorial University)

The complexity and some of the challenges of Return to Work after work-related injury and illness in different sectors, types of enterprises and across diverse populations of workers are the focus of this Dialogue. In this Dialogue, as in the supporting national partnership, Policy and Practice in Return to Work, discussions of Return to Work will not be limited to those who have filed successful compensation claims and will encompass labour market re-entry and its outcomes.

Please Note: Presentations (but not Q and A or Discussion) will be recorded. Recordings will be posted online on the SafetyNet website with links to the national Policy and Practice and Return to Work website to allow for future access. Participants will have the opportunity to respond anonymously to questions posed digitally during the sessions, with responses collated for the final report.

Panel Presentations

1. Dr. Stephanie Premji, McMaster University and Co-lead, Policy and Practice and Return to Work Partnership Grant: Stephanie will introduce the larger project, Policy and Practice and Return to Work.
Presentation title: Return-to-work after an injury or illness: The experiences of immigrant workers

Working and Hurting in Little Bangladesh
A Guide to Identifying and Addressing Challenges Related to Language Barriers in Return to Work

2. Dr. Kim Cullen, Co-Director, SafetyNet Centre for Health and Safety Research and Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University.
Presentation title: What makes return-to-work work?

Effectiveness of Workplace Interventions in Return-to-Work for Musculoskeletal, Pain-Related and Mental Health Conditions: An Update of the Evidence and Messages for Practitioners

3. Dr. Chris McLeod, Co-Director, Partnership for Work, Health and Safety and Head, Occupational and
Environmental Health Division, University of British Columbia
Presentation Title: Highlights and insights from the Partnership for Work, Health and Safety’s research on the role of gradual return to work programs after work injury

Descriptive Epidemiology of Gradual Return to Work for Workers With a Work-Acquired Musculoskeletal Disorder in British Columbia, Canada
Does gradually returning to work improve time to sustainable work after a work-acquired musculoskeletal disorder in British Columbia, Canada? A matched cohort effectiveness study

4. Synthesis and reflections based on experience on the frontlines:

Alec Farquhar, workers' compensation specialist and labour lawyer, retired from the Ontario Office of the Worker Adviser and John Beckett, Operations Vice-President British Columbia Maritime Employers Association, will synthesize key themes in the session presentations and broaden the discussion based on their own extensive experience with Return to Work.

Q and A and Roundtable discussion

Session 1 Report