Workplace accommodation is rarely governed by a single set of rules. The company’s internal policies and agreements must be considered, along with any legislative obligations, including employment standards and human rights. But there can be multiple third parties involved, which may provide financial support, medical review, or adjudication regarding an employee’s needs. These third parties have overlapping (and sometimes contradictory) input about whether a leave or other accommodation is required, and about a path to a return to work.
What are the overlapping accommodation regimes?
The main parties and regimes1 that are involved in a workplace accommodation process are:
