Tools and Resources

Arthritis
Workplace Processes
Accommodations
Communication
Building Workplace Wellness
Legal
Arthritis Sections
Workplace Processes Sections
Accommodations Sections
Communication Sections
Wellness Sections

Arthritis, Joint Pain, and Back Pain

*Please note – we cannot provide direct links to some of the resources because of copyright limitations. In those cases, we have provided a description of the resources and how you can find it yourself. 

Read

Watch

  • National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS): What is RA? (1:58)
  • Arthritis Research Canada (ARC): Learn about Osteoarthritis, Lupus, and more
  • The Arthritis Society’s Arthritis Talks series
    • The Arthritis Talks events take place across Canada. You can attend in person (for a fee) or online (for free). Check out the Arthritis Society events page to see what talks are coming up.
    • Create an account to view past Arthritis Talks webinars

Use

  • These checklists for employers & employees on how to deal with arthritis, joint pain, and back pain in the workplace
  • The Fit for Work Ireland website has information about arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders and how they impact people at work. They also have employee and employer guides about managing arthritis and other related conditions in the workplace.
  • Back Pain: Don’t Take it Lying Down is a public awareness campaign that is supported by the Alberta Construction Safety Association, WCB-Alberta, and the Manufacturers’ Health & Safety Association. It includes information and resources that can help keep people with back pain active and at work.

Resources for Employees

  • If you have osteoarthritis (OA) check out the GLA:D Canada program (GLA:D is an 8 week exercise program to teach patients about OA and reduce their symptoms)
  • The Arthritis Society’s website and Flourish site has advice and tips for people living with arthritis
  • ArthritisID is a comprehensive, free arthritis app. It features the most current, evidence-based arthritis information to help detect, treat and manage arthritis
  • Arthritis Society’s Arthritis Symptom Checker is a simple tool to help you communicate more effectively with your health care provider about the symptoms that you are experiencing.
  • A Rheumful of Tips provides 365 tips for living with rheumatoid arthritis
  • The Rheum Info website provides accurate and reliable information on arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders
    • To find this website search online for “rheuminfo”
  • The Arthritis Patient Advisory Board’s Arthritis Lifestyle Management Guide helps employees learn how to manage arthritis, joint pain, and back pain (28 pages)
  • Some resources from the Arthritis Wellness Program include diet and exercise tips that can help people manage their arthritis:
    • Arthritis – Foods for Arthritis [link coming soon]
    • Arthritis – Physical Exercise [link coming soon]
    • Arthritis – Planning Physical Activity [link coming soon]
    • Arthritis – Tips to help with food preparation [link coming soon]
  • Links to Canadian and International arthritis websites and resources: https://jointhealth.org/resources-links.cfm?locale=en-CA
  • The Making it Work for Employers website has a corresponding program created to help employees with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis manage their arthritis at work. Developed by Arthritis Research Canada (ARC), Making it Work: Employment & Arthritis is an online program that includes online modules, group meetings, and consultations with health professionals. If you have an employee who may benefit from this program, you can find more information here [link coming soon].

Return to Top

Workplace Processes

*Please note – we cannot provide direct links to some of the resources because of copyright limitations. In those cases, we have provided a description of the resources and how you can find it yourself. 

Read

  • The Process Consultant website has a white paper, “Preparing for Process Improvement: Setting things up so your process improvement efforts succeed” which provides a clear and concise overview of what process mapping is and how to do it well (16 pages)
    • Key messages include:
      • Getting everyone on board
      • Being clear about how much time you will need to develop a process map
      • Managing the expectations of the team
      • Having a plan to document the process
      • Choosing the right team

Watch

  • From the Process Consultant: The Pitfalls of Process Mapping and How to Avoid Them (2:56)

Use

Return to Top

Accommodations

*Please note – we cannot provide direct links to some of the resources because of copyright limitations. In those cases, we have provided a description of the resources and how you can find it yourself.

Read

Watch

  • Institute for Work & Health: Supporting workers with arthritis through job accommodations (3:00)
  • Alberta Health Services: Computer Ergonomics – Workstation and chair basics (5:25)
  • The Work Wellness and Disability Prevention Institute (WWDPI) has publically available webinars on topics related to chronic diseases at work. Arthritis relevant webinars include:
  • The “Managing Mental Health Matters: Managing Accommodations” website provides videos and resources for employers to help accommodate employees.
    • Developed for mental health accommodation, this video series walks through an employer navigating the accommodation process for an employee.
    • Four videos ranging from 1 to 8 minutes
    • To find this website search online for “managing mental health matters”
    • This material is brought to you by the Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace

Use

  • Joint Matters at Work includes online educational modules offered by The Arthritis Society
  • The Ergonomic Assessment Tool for Arthritis (EATA) (2008)
  • Need help with finding the right accommodations? The Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work’s Job Accommodations Service (JAS) works with employers across Canada to create healthy and inclusive workplaces. There is a cost for this service.
  • The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is an American site that provides examples of accommodations that may help different conditions and limitations. Search for the symptom (e.g., back pain) or disease (e.g., arthritis) for specific accommodation ideas.
  • Visit the Joint Health website for practical examples of how workplaces can support employees with arthritis and a list of high-value assistance that employers can offer employees with arthritis, joint pain, and back pain.
  • The Workplace Strategies for Mental Health website has a number of helpful free tools and resources, including a “Supporting Employee Success” tool
    • If your workplace doesn’t have a process for workplace accommodations or it is your first time accommodating an employee, this 28 page booklet is a good place to start.
    • The “Job Expectation” worksheets (starting on page 5) are helpful tools for employees to share with their health care provider when they are getting a medical note for accommodations.
    • To find this website search online for “Workplace Strategies for Mental Health” and then going to “Free Training and Tools” -> “Accommodation Tool”
    • This material is brought to you by the Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace
  • Workplace Accommodation Question Guide includes questions you may want to ask if an employee requires a workplace accommodation [link coming soon].
  • Workplace assessment and risk identification tools:
    • Fit for Work Ireland has developed a very helpful booklet: Arthritis, back pain & related conditions: Guide for Employers that has a number of sections talking about accommodations and assessing your workplace:
      • “Your eyes and ears are your best risk identification tools” p. 16
      • “Inexpensive accommodations” p. 25
      • “Finding out what your employee needs: A checklist” p. 27 (also in the communication resources section)
    • Explore three-step workplace health assessment included on page 8 of Sun Life’s “Chronic Disease in the Workplace: Focus on Prevention and Support” report (36 pages)
      • To find this report search online for “Sun Life Chronic Disease in The Workplace: Focus on Prevention and Support”

Resources for Employees

  • The Alberta Human Rights Commission has information for employees about their rights and responsibilities in the workplace under the Alberta Human Rights Act
  • Joint Health Monthly: Working with you to improve joint health (4 pages)
  • Looking for additional resources for your employees with arthritis? The Making it Work: Employment & Arthritis program provides information and resources as well as peer and professional support that help employees manage their arthritis at work. This includes ideas for accommodations, how to talk to their employer and health care provider, and ways of managing their work without requesting accommodations. If you have an employee who may benefit from this program, you can find more information here [link coming soon].


Return to Top

Communication

*Please note – we cannot provide direct links to some of the resources because of copyright limitations. In those cases, we have provided a description of the resources and how you can find it yourself. 

Read

  • The Help Guide is an American website that has resources related to mental health and wellness. This article about “Effective Communication: Improving Communication Skills in your Work and Personal Relationships” outlines the foundations of good communication (2019) (9 pages)

Watch

  • For a humorous skit that highlights the pitfalls and challenges of communication about workplace wellness, watch this: https://youtu.be/qXpCn-DUxTg

Use

  • The Fit for Work Ireland’s Arthritis, Back Pain & Related Conditions: Guide for Employers has many sections on communication. Includes information about communication and checklists.
    • “The role of the line manager” p. 21
    • “Finding out what your employee needs: A checklist” p. 27
    • “Communicating about the situation” p. 28
    • “Tips for dealing with disclosure” p. 30
  • The Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN)’s website has checklists, guidelines, and examples to help you use plain language in all communications.
    • PLAIN’s website available through USA.gov, which is the U.S. government’s official web portal to all federal, state, and local government web resources and services.

Employee Resources

  • From Disability Alliance BC: Disclosing your Disability: A Legal Guide for People with Disabilities in BC (2016) (56 pages)
  • Effective communication plays a key role in employees managing their arthritis, joint pain, and back pain in the workplace. The Making it Work: Employment & Arthritis online program for employees, it dedicates an entire module to personal relationships and communication in the workplace. For more information about Making it Work: Employment & Arthritis, go here [link coming soon].

 

Return to Top

Building Workplace Wellness

*Please note – we cannot provide direct links to some of the resources because of copyright limitations. In those cases, we have provided a description of the resources and how you can find it yourself.

Read

  • The Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey 2018 highlights the impact and prevalence of wellness programs. Page 26 highlights “What Workplace Wellness Looks Like” (36 pages)
    • To find the all available Canada Healthcare Survey reports search online for “Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey”
  • The Graham Lowe Group’s 2014 report “The Wellness Dividend: How Employers Can Improve Employee Health & Productivity” looks at topics important to workplace wellness including effective workplace wellness programs, absenteeism and presenteeism, and psychological health and safety (32 pages)
  • Articles talking about on the impact of culture in the workplace:

Watch

Use

  • The Mental Health Commission of Canada has resources to learn about and create Psychological Health and Safety in your workplace:
    • The National Standard is a set of guidelines, tools and resources designed to help organizations ensure psychological health and safety in the workplace.
    • Resources include: an implementation guide, an online toolkit, and case studies of other organizational who have implemented the standard in their workplace.
    • Wellness Framework (2017) by the Mental Health Commission of Canada provides an outline of who to involve in supporting wellness, and a methodology to plan and implement a plan in your workplace. (10 pages)
  • ASEBP’s Sandbox has many great resources around workplace wellness and wellness culture, including:
  • Better Health, Better Business is a website that provides information and resources on how to make changes in your workplace to support employee wellness
    • The “Roadmap to Comprehensive Workplace Health Improvement” (116 pages) talks about strengthening organizational culture starting on page 18
    • To find this website search online for “better health better business”
  • The Workplace Wellness Toolkit by Alberta Blue Cross gives some ideas of where to get started and what to consider when thinking about wellness in the workplace (9 pages)
    • To find the toolkit search online for “workplace wellness online”, the toolkit is available on the Workplace Wellness Online website

 

Return to Top

Legal Tools & Resources

*Please note – we cannot provide direct links to some of the resources because of copyright limitations. In those cases, we have provided a description of the resources and how you can find it yourself. 

Return to Top