Accommodation in the workplace

Under Saskatchewan labour standards and human rights legislation, a worker can’t be dismissed or treated differently by their employer because of an injury or illness.

Employers have a legal duty to accommodate, which means that they must make every reasonable effort, short of undue hardship, to identify and eliminate from the workplace anything that discriminates against workers or puts them at a disadvantage, including in situations involving disability. This is true whether the disability is work related or not, temporary or permanent. For more information on your rights, visit the Human Rights Commission websites, www.chrc-ccdp.ca or saskatchewanhumanrights.ca/.

Under The Workers’ Compensation Act, 2013, workers also have a legal obligation to keep their loss of earnings to a minimum by helping to develop rehabilitation and return-to-work plans and by participating in those plans.

Return-to-work process

As a worker, ask your care provider to provide your current abilities to assist with your return-to-work planning. Have your care provider give this to you in writing to provide to your employer.

A Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) representative will work with you, your employer, and your care provider to put together a return-to-work plan for you based on your current abilities, skills and education. This plan may include changes to hours of work and/or job duties so you can keep working while you wait for treatment or surgery. As you recover, your hours and duties will gradually increase to help you return to your normal work activity.