In our ongoing mission to provide professional guidance and assistance in the corporate work environment, Y2 Consulting Psychologists offers its expertise in the area of fitness to work assessments, also known as fit to work evaluations. We have conducted several hundred fitness to work assessments over the years in both French and English and in different public (i.e., various departments/agencies within the Government of Canada, as well as different jobs at the Provincial and Municipal levels) and private sector organisations.
A fitness to work assessment is generally required in the following situations and is usually requisitioned by the employer:
- An employee is returning to work after a period of medical leave and the employer needs a professional medical assessment as to whether the employee is fit to work upon return or as to what accommodations may need to be put into place;
- An employee is experiencing difficulty in performing the duties of their position at work or appears to be affected by health-related factors;
- An employee is absent for a substantial period of time and a return-to-work date has not been established.
The subject employee must provide written consent to the fitness to work assessment and has a right to be given the reasons for it. The fitness to work evaluation is a medical assessment, and depending on the circumstances, can either examine the physical or mental health of the employee, or both. In the event a mental health evaluation is required, Y2 Consulting Psychologists' considerable expertise and experience in the field of Independent Medical Examination, be it of a psychological, neuropsychological or psychiatric nature, are drawn upon to reach a conclusion regarding the employee's fitness for work. Confidentiality is of utmost importance in these matters and the employer is not entitled to know the employee's diagnosis.
Our role here is to report back to the employer one of three conditions (the last two conditions may be reported as temporary or permanent):
- The employee is fit;
- The employee is unfit;
- The employee is fit, subject to work modifications or accommodations.
We only disclose to the employer information that enables them to take appropriate measures regarding the employee in their position. For example, we would provide information on limitations related to the mental health requirements of the position. In our fitness to work assessments, our experts do not provide to the employer confidential medical information unless it is needed to determine appropriate accommodation options or strategies and only with the written consent of the employee. It is important to note that a fitness to work assessment respects the protocols and recommendations of the Human Rights Code and those of the organisation for which the employee works.
Fitness to work assessment is an important tool in ensuring employees' health and provides guidance to employers in maintaining work environments that are positive and productive while being safe and secure. The employee being assessed can also benefit from a comprehensive report detailing mental health diagnoses and recommendations that they can share with their physician and/or psychologist and/or psychiatrist. Such a report is only provided to the employee (not to the employer) and often serves the health professionals as a guide to adjust or trial new treatment modalities to improve the well-being of the employee.
Please contact Dr. Yaniv M. Benzimra by phone at 819-777-7744 x248 or by email at yaniv.benzimra@y2cp.com for more details.
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