Staying connected after an injury: Gilda’s remarkable journey
Should someone who is injured on the job stop working until they have fully recovered? For many injured workers, the answer is no.
By Marnie Douglas
Depending on their injury, they can benefit from remaining at work and taking on modified or alternative duties as needed.
The key is for the worker and their employer to collaborate and stay connected every step of the way. These actions will help shorten the worker’s recovery time and strengthen the workplace’s health and safety culture. In addition, as of January 1, 2024, employers and workers have a legal duty to cooperate with one another in safe and timely return to work.
One worker’s experience
Gilda Adamson is a shipper/receiver at ALCA Distribution in Surrey, B.C. This firm operates a small warehouse that wholesales and distributes baby and children’s products such as clothing and wooden toys. Her work is physical — unloading shipping containers, lifting heavy boxes for several hours at a time, and building and wrapping pallets.
On July 6, 2022, after several days of heavy lifting, Adamson’s shoulder felt sore. As she tried to lift her right arm, it didn’t respond, but rather hung limp at her side.
“I couldn’t raise my arm anymore, couldn’t lift. I knew something was wrong,” she recalls.
She took a week or so off work due to the injury and then returned on modified duties, including data entry, operating a forklift, and picking small items. ALCA Distribution owner Loretta Fulton says Adamson collaborated with her partner in the warehouse to find opportunities where they could help each other out.
“We are a small company with just 11 employees, so there’s a lot of teamwork needed to get the job done. In the warehouse, one worker would lift boxes when Gilda couldn’t, and Gilda would do other meaningful work,” explains Fulton.
Extensive surgical procedures
But the pain persisted. In September 2022, Adamson was diagnosed with a condition known as frozen shoulder, and an MRI confirmed she needed shoulder surgery. In total, three medical procedures would be needed to fix the shoulder: the reattachment of the tendon to the bone, the repair of a torn muscle under the shoulder blade, and surgery to release the frozen shoulder. Adamson continued on modified duties while also working with an occupational therapist to assist her at work. A key component for her was staying fit and active and maintaining muscle strength ahead of the surgery, which was scheduled for the following February.
“I was a bit of a mess. In addition to my job, simple things in daily life like washing my hair or tying it back in a ponytail were a challenge,” she says. “But I knew that I had to put in the work ahead of and after my surgery. I felt I had a lot to lose — a paycheque and a job that I loved. And I was afraid I’d be unable to return to my regular duties if I couldn’t get back to or close to 100 percent.”
Adamson continued with her modified work until the day before her surgery. Her surgeon suggested she’d be off work for nine to 12 months based on the extensive surgical procedures; Adamson was having none of it.
Remarkable recovery and return to work
WorkSafeBC case manager Tai McLavy explains that Adamson’s occupational therapy resumed within a week of her surgery, followed by more intense occupational rehabilitation treatment several months later. In July, Adamson started back at ALCA Distribution on gradual, modified work. Incredibly, she was back to her full-time regular duties in August — just five months post surgery.
“To say that she broke the mold with her speed of recovery is an understatement,” says McLavy. “There were several factors, including that she stayed working prior to surgery, she stayed physically fit, and she was so determined in her recovery.”
For her part, Adamson reiterates just how motivated she was and says she “used every second of the physio and rehabilitation available,” often five to six hours a day. These days, she’s pain free, running five kilometres a day, lifting weights, and continuously working on range of motion through ongoing physiotherapy to manage scar tissue.
“I’m just so grateful to everyone who assisted me in my journey,” she adds.
Even her employer was shocked with the results.
“Gilda needed to be able to lift 50 pounds and have full range of motion to be able to return to regular duties, and she did it. She was so determined. It was pretty amazing from where she was at the start of her injury to where she is today,” says Fulton.
When it comes to a successful return-to-work journey, McLavy says the employer is the deciding factor in terms of accommodation, while the employee is the deciding factor when it comes to rehabilitation and motivation.
“Sync those together, and you can have an excellent outcome,” he adds.
Duty to cooperate and duty to maintain employment
The provincial government has made amendments to the Workers Compensation Act that affect return to work. As of January 1, 2024, employers and workers have a legal duty to cooperate with each other and with WorkSafeBC in a worker’s timely and safe return to work following a work-related injury. In addition, employers with 20 or more employees have an obligation to maintain a worker’s employment if they employed the worker for at least one year before the injury.
Employers who have a duty to maintain employment must offer the worker their pre-injury work or a comparable alternative if the worker is fit to return to their pre-injury work. If the worker cannot perform their pre-injury job but is otherwise fit to work in another capacity, the employer is required to offer the first suitable work that becomes available. The legislation also requires these employers to make any changes necessary to the work or workplace to accommodate an injured worker, unless the changes create an undue hardship for the employer.
The worker must also work with the employer to identify suitable modified job duties. If the worker can no longer perform their pre-injury job, but is otherwise fit to work in another capacity, they must not unreasonably refuse suitable work when it has been made available by any employer.
As Adamson learned, there are many benefits to returning to work as soon as it is safe to do so after an injury. When workers perform some duties while they recover, it keeps them connected to their workplace and can minimize the disruptive impact of a workplace injury. Returning to work helps workers avoid other health complications and protects their income, employment benefits, social contacts, regular routines, and job security.
Similarly, supporting injured workers in their recovery at work is good for employers and their businesses. By keeping a worker connected to the workplace and giving them suitable duties, businesses can experience several benefits. These may include:
- Retaining a skilled and experienced worker, which reduces recruitment and retraining costs
- Developing a stronger relationship with the worker by demonstrating that they are valued
- Reducing the burden on co-workers
- Reducing productivity losses and workflow interruptions
- Reducing WorkSafeBC premiums
As ALCA Distribution and Gilda clearly demonstrate, many employers already recognize the importance of return to work and engage in effective practices. The legislation formalizes these obligations, reinforces the value of return to work, and promotes positive outcomes for workers.
For more information on these duties, see worksafebc.com/returntoworkduties.
Steps for employers to support a worker’s safe return to work
To help ensure a worker’s timely and safe return to work, follow these steps:
- Talk with the worker as soon as possible and maintain ongoing communication.
Stay connected with the injured worker after the injury. Your relationship with the worker is key to their successful return to work and a faster recovery. - Keep the worker connected to the workplace.
Include the injured worker in staff meetings, special events, training, or even coffee with co-workers to keep them involved. Staying connected supports the worker’s recovery and return to work. - Ask the worker what duties they can do.
Be flexible, and together with the worker identify safe and suitable work for them. To support them while they recover, the worker’s duties must be meaningful, be within their abilities, and not cause harm or slow their recovery. - Collaborate with the worker to develop a return-to-work plan.
Encourage everyone to focus on what the worker can do. Collaborate with the worker to develop a return-to-work plan that progresses them back to their pre-injury level of employment and allows them to restore their earnings. Meet with the worker regularly and support their progress as they recover. Modify and adjust the plan as needed. - Document the return-to-work plan.
A written return-to-work plan helps everyone understand the plan’s goals and expectations. Give the injured worker a copy of the plan and send one to WorkSafeBC. Although WorkSafeBC doesn’t require medical approval for a worker to return to work, a written plan helps the worker to update their health care provider if needed.
Adamson was motivated and determined to return to work promptly and safely, and she wholeheartedly credits Fulton for supporting her journey. “Just to be able to hear ‘we support you and we want you back’ from Loretta meant so much — it really kept me going,” she says. “To have two arms that are fully mobile and functional again is amazing. I’m very appreciative of the support I’ve received and really happy to be back to my regular duties.”
This information originally appeared in the Spring 2024 issue of WorkSafe Magazine. To read more or to subscribe, visit WorkSafe Magazine.