Timely access to appropriate medical treatment and vocational rehabilitation is a critical part of the return-to-work process. It enables the person’s quick recovery, maximum functional ability and mobility, and return to work in a position that maximizes their skills and experience.

It is necessary to shift from a primary focus on deficits and incapacity towards an ability-orientated approach.

Return to work efforts, including job retention, are focused on the workplace and consider factors such as workplace actors, resources, work design and structure.

A comprehensive and integrated approach operates on a continuum, from an emphasis on prevention to care, rehabilitation and a smooth transition back to work. It considers the full range of expectations and realities, especially in small and medium-sized enterprises.

The term “holistic” refers to the whole and not just selected parts of a person or system. The return to work is a complex and comprehensive process involving many stakeholders and several activities which must come together to achieve the common goal of the return to work of a person who has an occupational or non-occupational injury, disability and/or health condition. Therefore, it is important to adopt a return to work approach which is holistic, integrated and inclusive. The overall goal is to maintain the person’s work ability and existing connections to working life.

The board, management, policy-makers and return-to-work professional play crucial roles in the setting up and operation of a return-to-work system.

The guidelines should be followed using a “top-down” approach which encourages ownership of their inherent values so that they are simultaneously accepted throughout the organization. The remaining guidelines are based on the following seven principles of return-to-work policy and programmes:

A range of strategic and individualized initiatives are applied to promote and support proactive return-to-work outcomes.

Strategic initiatives typically include the implementation of incentives and the imposition of various regulatory requirements, ranging from enforced obligations to administrative reporting.

The tremendous diversity of social security institutions has produced a broad range of experience which is used as a valuable learning resource for return-to-work policy and programming.

The return-to-work programme is supported by public policy, legislation, standards and other declarations. Knowledge of relevant instruments is essential to meeting reporting and accountability obligations.

Where legislation does not support effective return-to-work outcomes, statutory changes are advocated which will empower the institution to engage in return-to-work activities giving rise to effective outcomes.

The ability of an institution to begin, support, promote or better regulate return-to-work programmes, policy and procedures is strongly influenced and often regulated by its governing legislative framework.

Promotion and support of an effective return-to-work programme involves a broad range of individual and institutional stakeholders.

This usually includes but is not limited to the injured, ill or disabled person and their family, employer and employee representatives (social partners), colleagues, health-care professionals, community services, interfacing agencies, government departments, and other individually and jurisdictionally specific stakeholders.