You've done the physio. The pain is better than it was. But your doctor has just said what you were afraid to hear: you probably can't go back to framing houses, or driving a truck, or lifting patients all shift. So what happens to your job, and your pay, now? In a BC workplace injury claim, the answer usually runs through WorkSafeBC vocational rehabilitation.
Key points
- Vocational rehabilitation helps injured workers get back to suitable, long-term work when the old job is no longer an option, or needs changes.
- Your WorkSafeBC case manager makes the referral. A vocational rehabilitation consultant then works with you on a plan.
- The first goal is usually work with your own employer. If that isn't possible, the focus moves to a new employer.
- You're expected to take part and follow the plan. Not doing so can end your vocational rehabilitation benefits and services.
- If you disagree with a decision, you generally have 90 days to ask for a review.
What is WorkSafeBC vocational rehabilitation?
Vocational rehabilitation is the part of a claim that deals with work itself, not just healing. According to the Government of BC's factsheet, WorkSafeBC can help workers who need support with an early and safe return to their pre-injury job, with or without modifications, and workers who can't return to that job because of their injury or occupational disease. Surviving dependent spouses of deceased workers can also be eligible.
WorkSafeBC describes three aims: helping you return to work with your employer, identifying a suitable return-to-work goal with a new employer, and getting you safely back to suitable, long-term work.
It's different from treatment. Physio, counselling or occupational therapy work on your body and your day-to-day function. Vocational rehab is about finding work that fits what you can do now.
How the referral and planning process works
Your case manager refers you if it looks like you'll have trouble getting back to work, or if your job is no longer available. From there, you work with a vocational rehabilitation consultant, who assesses your needs and decides what level of help is appropriate.
The consultant doesn't work alone. They gather input from you, your doctor, your employer, your case manager and WorkSafeBC's medical advisers. The resulting plan should be given to you in writing. If it isn't, ask for it.
Expect questions about:
- Your education, training and work history
- Skills you've picked up on and off the job
- Your current physical or cognitive limits
- What your employer can offer, such as modified or different duties
A functional capacity evaluation can be a useful input here. It gives everyone the same clear picture of what you can safely lift, carry, sit through or keep up over a full day, which makes it easier to match you to realistic work.
Same employer first, then a new direction
In a 2011 BC Medical Journal article, WorkSafeBC laid out the order it works through. It starts with trying to return you to the same job with the same employer. Next comes modifying the job or workplace, or a different job with the same employer. After that, it looks at other suitable work where your skills transfer directly, then suitable work in any industry. Retraining comes last, and the consultant decides which step applies. The article also noted that these services are discretionary, so workers aren't automatically entitled to every type of benefit.
Many people assume vocational rehab means going back to school. Often it means a modified role, a new position with the same company, or using skills you already have in a different setting.
When a new employer is the goal, WorkSafeBC's Job Finder connects workers with BC employers who are looking to hire people who have recovered from an injury.
For employers, this is where good workplace and employment services pay off. A clear picture of the worker's abilities and the job's demands makes modified duties far easier to set up. Our employer page covers how we help.
Your part: what WorkSafeBC expects from you
WorkSafeBC expects you to take part. The BC factsheet is direct about it: injured workers must do their best to work with the consultant and follow the plan, and failing to do so may end vocational rehabilitation benefits and services.
A few other rules are worth knowing up front:
- One plan. A worker is entitled to one rehabilitation plan. It can change if your condition gets worse or better, or there are significant developments, but a new plan needs approval from the Director of Vocational Rehabilitation Services.
- Your own plan. You can propose your own plan, such as extra training or starting a business. WorkSafeBC may pay up to the cost of its own plan. If yours doesn't work out, further services or benefits are unlikely.
- Reviews. If you disagree with a decision, you can ask the Review Division to look at it within 90 days of the decision date. Review Division decisions on vocational rehabilitation can't be appealed to the Workers' Compensation Appeal Tribunal.
Be honest about what you can and can't do, raise concerns early, and keep copies of everything in writing.
How CTC supports injured workers and employers
Creative Therapy Consultants is a contracted provider for WorkSafeBC. Our team includes vocational rehabilitation consultants, occupational therapists, kinesiologists and registered clinical counsellors, so the work side and the recovery side of a claim can be handled together.
Our vocational rehabilitation services also support people with ICBC claims, long-term disability insurers, Veterans Affairs Canada and lawyers. We see clients at home, in the community, at work and online, from 12 offices across BC and in Calgary, including Kamloops, Kelowna and Prince George. Wondering what a first visit looks like? See what to expect.
Frequently asked questions
Who is eligible for vocational rehabilitation with WorkSafeBC?
Workers who need help getting safely back to their pre-injury job, or who can't return to it because of their injury or occupational disease. Surviving dependent spouses of deceased workers can also be eligible.
Will WorkSafeBC pay for me to go back to school?
Sometimes, but it isn't automatic. Retraining usually comes after options with your own employer and work using your existing skills have been looked at. The consultant decides what fits your situation.
What happens if I don't follow my vocational rehabilitation plan?
WorkSafeBC may end your vocational rehabilitation benefits and services. If the plan isn't working for you, tell your consultant and case manager early rather than stepping away from it.
Can I appeal a vocational rehabilitation decision?
You can ask for a review by WorkSafeBC's Review Division within 90 days of the decision. Review Division decisions on vocational rehabilitation can't be taken further to the Workers' Compensation Appeal Tribunal.
Talk to our team
Case managers, adjusters, employers and lawyers can refer by email at referrals@creativetherapyconsultants.ca, by phone at 1-888-880-3222, or through our referral page. We contact the client within 1 business day of the referral.