Our quarterback, per se, is the case manager. They coordinate all that happens at the workplace, as well as medically. They are the point of contact for the challenges and barriers that exist and how to work through them.
Because we have work transition specialists going to the employment site, they do a collaborative plan with the frontline supervisor and the employee, whatever medical staff the employer would bring, and the union, and they put together a plan. Everyone signs off on that plan so that the expectations for what is to follow are clear to everyone, and therefore so is the accountability.
We do deal with stigma. I'm sure it's not quite the same, but there are probably some common threads in how we handle that. We make the employer accountable for their workplace and for their work culture, and if it's not a good plan for any reason, we won't put someone in harm's way until we're satisfied they are going to be treated with the dignity and respect they are required to receive according to the law of the land. We have the Ministry of Labour to protect that. The accountability is on the employer because that's their workplace, that's their culture. We would hope that frontline supervisors and and their superiors would be supportive of a gradual return to work.
On our system for employers, there is a financial benefit for them in returning someone to work quickly. It's an insurance system, so the longer we pay benefits, the more expensive it is for the employer the longer the worker is off work. There is a financial incentive for employers to make it a good plan, because if it fails, we're going to take the worker out of the work environment and perhaps start over again with them or with another employer, which becomes even more expensive in terms of the insurance model.