WSIB - Ontario Nurses' Association

to provide a written job description of any accommodated work they areoffering.These cooperation obligations apply from the date of injury until the earlierof the following:• Your loss of earnings benefits can no longer be reviewed by the WSIB(usually 72 months after the date of injury).• There is no longer an employment relationship because you voluntarilyresign or the employer terminates your employment for reasons not relatedto the work injury or your WSIB claim.• The cooperation obligations also end when the WSIB is satisfied that nocurrent suitable work with the AE exists, or will exist in the reasonablyforeseeable future.2. If you are partially disabled, meaning your doctor/health professionalfeels you could return to some form of work with restrictions, the Boardwill expect you to cooperate with your employer in identifying a job thatmeets your restrictions.• Remember that while WSIB may first look at your original job, WSIBpolicies do not require them to bring you back to your former occupation.The Board’s primary concern is that you restore your pre-injury earningscapacity.3. If you believe you are unable to return to work but WSIB insists you can,it is likely your doctor/health professional’s reports have been evasiveand do not provide rationale for why you are unable to do any work inany capacity.• The onus will be on you, the injured worker, to prove why you are unableto perform any work from the time of the injury, and only objective medical/physicalfindings will suffice as “proof.”• Ensure your doctor/health professional is providing WSIB with a rationalefor your need to be off work completely and your physical findings.• Work Reintegration is based on the principle that the earlier a worker returnsto work after an injury, the better and that recovery should be completedat work. Therefore, if your doctor recommends that you be totallyoff work, s/he needs to explain (on the Form 8 or Functional AbilitiesForm) not only your limitations (e.g. “forward flexion decreased by 75 percent”), but also what benefit being off work is for your recovery from theinjury (e.g. “patient having muscle spasm throughout entire back; needscomplete rest to allow muscles to relax and thereby speed recovery.”)12