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Issue link: https://www.wsps.ca/resource-hub/i/1317091
1 8 INSTITUTE FOR WORK & HEALTH • Consider holding a pre-RTW meeting to develop and outline a return-to-work plan that everyone is comfortable with. This meeting may involve the worker, direct manager/supervisor, HR staff, and any other involved parties (e.g. worker or union representative, disability case manager). • Ongoing communication is crucial to a successful RTW plan. During the pre-RTW meeting, make sure to outline steps for follow up on the RTW process. Collaboratively decide on the frequency for check- ins well into the future, and determine who will be responsible for initiating these check-ins. • Individualized, gradual RTW plans are reported to be more successful than inflexible ones. Consider the worker's unique needs and job duties, and think creatively about how best to negotiate any conflicting demands. • A successful RTW plan is adaptable to the worker's changing needs over time. Do not consider a RTW plan to be 'finalized.' Stay open to adapting the plan as needed as time goes on. Ruth went off work eight months ago. When she left, she told her supervisor, Maria, and the HR manager, Francis, that she needed time off due to her depression, confirmed in a note from her doctor. While Ruth was off work, her supervisor Maria called her once a month. Maria asked how she was feeling and if there was anything the workplace could do to help. Maria also assured Ruth that her job would be waiting for her when she was ready to return. Recently, Ruth had been feeling better, and thinking she might be ready to go back to work. She wasn't sure, but she wanted to try. She lets Maria know. Maria organizes a pre-RTW meeting to be attended by Ruth, Francis from HR, and herself. The agenda, which she shares with all attendees prior to the meeting, includes creating a RTW plan based on Ruth's needs and her doctor's recommendations, outlining a process for follow-up over the next six months, and outlining roles and responsibilities for all involved. Maria also has an idea: to pair Ruth with another worker, Jeanne, who had successfully returned to work years ago after experiencing severe post-partum depression. Jeanne had previously expressed interest in mentoring other workers with mental health conditions. Maria plans to propose this idea to Ruth during her next phone call. If Ruth is amenable to it, Jeanne will be invited to the last 10 minutes of the pre-RTW meeting to start welcoming Ruth back to work. Case Study: The RTW planning meeting