P-603 RETURN TO WORK PRACTICES IN ONTARIO POLICE SERVICES

Abstract Introduction Occupational injuries are common for police service members. The challenging physical demands of police work along with operational stress, are barriers to return to work (RTW) for police service members. Our objective was to examine RTW practices in Ontario, Canada police services. Methods In-depth interviews with members of Ontario police services (sworn and civilian) who have experience with work absence and RTW were conducted. A thematic analysis was used for the qualitative interview data. A stakeholder committee, including chiefs of police, police association members and occupational health and safety representatives, assisted with recruitment, interview terminology, and creation of messages from the results. Results Five themes emerged describing key aspects of the RTW process: Accommodation, Communication, Trust-building, as well as Context and Culture. The themes of context and culture revealed RTW challenges related to psychological injuries, stoicism, and hierarchical organizations. The RTW process themes captured aspects of accommodation (e.g. meaningful work), communication (e.g. timeliness and clarity), and trust-building issues (e.g. confidentiality and malingering). Details and illustrative quotes provide practical information about how programs can be implemented to improve the RTW process in policing. Conclusions/Implications The interview data yielded rich descriptions of the RTW processes in Ontario police services. Suggested policy and practice improvements include: accommodation flexibility; increased clarity of RTW process and expectations; genuine and timely communication; protection of confidentiality; and eliminating the use of stigmatizing language. Future RTW research in policing should focus on determining optimal communication approaches and better understanding the link between trust and RTW in policing.