Purpose: To determine post-return-to-work disability and functioning amongst occupationally injured workers and to test the extent to which demographic and other variables relate to employment maintenance. In addition, the project sought to document what workers believe determined their work continuation.
Method: Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted to inquire about participant's (N = 150) post-vocational rehabilitation return-to-work experiences. Results were interpreted using the health and health-related domains from the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.
Results: Although most participants were working at the time of interview, almost all were experiencing functional- or activity-based restrictions. Factors differentiating those employed from those not, were largely contextual and included relationships with supervisors, economic climate, and working conditions.
Conclusions: The findings stress the importance of considering environmental strains when planning return to work and indicate ways to assist workers to achieve return-to-work success.