Return-to-work experiences: Prior to receiving vocational services

Abstract

Purpose. Injured workers can experience a myriad of difficulties while attempting workplace reintegration and, in some cases, problems encountered result in workers being unable to take up employment opportunities and/or maintain employment gains. This project aimed to discover what injured workers report as being the reason for their not pursuing and/or leaving post-injury work opportunities.

Methods. Semi-structured interviews inquiring about participant's (N = 150) return-to-work experiences following an occupational injury resulting in an impairment that limited their ability to perform their past work.

Results. Findings indicate that although reasons cited for the loss of employment gains included physiological body function, the ability to perform work-related tasks and actions and personal factors, the most commonly referenced barriers by far were environmental in nature. Depending on where the worker was within the return-to-work process, the regularity with which each of the types of environmental factors was mentioned varied considerably.

Conclusions. The finding that environmental factors are considered the most common stumbling blocks is positive in that these are arguably some of the most amenable to intervention.

Keywords:

• Vocational rehabilitation
• return to work
• disability recurrence
• ICF

Declaration of interest: The author reports no conflicts of interest. The author alone is responsible for the content and writing of the paper.