ODEP - Office of Disability Employment Policy
Disability Employment Policy Resources by Topic
Stay at Work/Return to Work
A compelling case can be made for advancing stay at work/return to work (SAW /RTW) strategies as a cost effective, mutually-beneficial means of addressing the high unemployment of Americans with disabilities. Successful RTW strategies, if sufficiently promoted, can result in higher incomes for recovering workers, lower benefits costs for the American taxpayer, and lower personnel costs for employers.
Since 2013, ODEP has utilized a Community of Practice and policy work groups led by subject matter experts to guide our SAW/RTW work. Through this collaboration, ODEP continues to explore effective practices to inform policy recommendations targeting federal and state agencies, as well as the private sector. Below are some of the outcomes of this work.
SAW/RTW Activities & Publications
SAW/RTW Community of Practice: This CoP supports ODEP’s goal of advancing policies and programs that promote positive SAW/RTW outcomes by providing real-time feedback to policy work groups organized around specific topics; developing new SAW/RTW tools and resources for use by key stakeholders; and participating in the development and strategic dissemination of targeted SAW/RTW materials.
Profile: Best Practices in Employee Retention & RTW – An In-Depth Look Inside an Exemplary American Corporation (2014)
Report: RTW in the Health Care Sector: Promising Practices & Success Stories (2015)
Report: The Role of the Physician in the RTW Process (2015)
Assessing the Costs & Benefits of Return to Work Programs (2015)
Establishing Accountability to Reduce Job Loss After Injury (2015)
Promoting Retention or Re-employment of Workers after a Significant Injury or Illness (2015)
Targeting Early Intervention to Workers Who Need Help to Stay in the Labor Force (2015)
Forum: Promoting SAW/RTW Policies – Recommendations to Help Workers Who Experience Illness or Injury (video) (10/22/2015)
State Strategies for Helping Workers Keep their Jobs after an Injury, Illness, or Disability (2016)
Behavioral Interventions to Promote Job Retention after Injury or Illness (2016)
Expanding Washington's COHE Program Beyond Workers' Compensation (2016)
Forum: Helping Workers Keep Their Jobs After an Injury, Illness, or Disability (video)(9/13/2016)
Other SAW/RTW Publications
Fact Sheet: Supporting Employees Who Experience Unexpected Illness or Disability (2014)
Previous SAW/RTW Efforts
Return-to-Work Toolkit for Employees & Employers (2011)