United States Department of Labor

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)

• Issue Brief
• Report
• Issue Brief: The Case for Public Investment (2016)

Establishing Accountability to Reduce Job Loss After Injury (2015)

• Policy Brief
• Policy Action Paper

• Policy Brief
• Policy Action Paper

Targeting Early Intervention to Workers Who Need Help to Stay in the Labor Force (2015)

• Policy Brief
• Policy Action Paper

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)

• Policy Brief
• Policy Action Paper
• Map Infographic

Behavioral Interventions to Promote Job Retention after Injury or Illness (2016)

• Policy Brief
• Policy Action Paper

Expanding Washington's COHE Program Beyond Workers' Compensation (2016)

• Policy Brief
• Policy Action Paper

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)