DND employees dealing with disability due to illness, impairment and/ or injury

Dealing with disability at work shouldn’t leave you, as employee or manager, feeling uncertain and burdened. Extended or indefinite periods of illness, impairment or injury may affect your ability to perform your usual work duties and earn an income. Knowing where to go for help with disability-related concerns at work makes it possible for you and your manager to get questions answered, apply to the right processes, and focus more time on your well-being.

The Office of Disability Management (ODM) provides Department of National Defence Public Service employees and their managers with centralized services - including guidance, tools and resources - from the moment you become ill, impaired or injured.

The ODM can help if you:

• are sick or injured for an extended or indefinite period,
• are injured in the workplace or

• live with a non-work-related personal impairment or injury that affects your ability to work or access the workplace.

They will help you remain at or return to the workplace as early as possible. They also work to improve the work environment for all employees by engaging with partners to integrate assistive technologies where appropriate.

How the Office of Disability Management (ODM) helps

ODM advisors provide personalized case management services. These services help you and your manager navigate the following processes and potential obstacles:

• Injury on duty (occupational injury, illness, or impairment)
• Non-occupational injury, illness or impairment
• Stay at work and return to work
• Extended sick leave (more than 10 days)
• Medical accommodation (duty to accommodate)
• Government of Canada Accessibility Passport

• Medical retirement

ODM Advisors may also liaise on your behalf with worker’s compensation boards, disability insurance companies, Health Canada, and departmental human resource professionals.

Working towards a barrier-free work environment

The ODM works towards a barrier-free work environment. They ensure that human resource services and workplace documents, tools and resources meet universal accessibility standards, such as Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG3). They gather feedback from employees with disabilities to continually refine their programs and services and contribute to broader accessibility initiatives. This helps improve DND physical facilities and integrate assistive technologies in the workplace.

Additional Resources

• ODM’s intranet page– for more on the process (available on the Defence Network only)
• GC Accessibility Passport on ADM (HR-Civ) (available on the Defence network only)
• GC Accessibility Passport on Canada.ca
• GC A Communication Guide by ESDC that defines Social model of disability
• TBS Directive on Duty to Accommodate
• HR Connect RH
  • Submit an online request (available on the Defence network only)
  • Phone 1-833-747-6363 (Monday to Friday 8 AM to 4 PM Canada-wide)
• Download the HR GO RH App from the HR Connect RH site on the Defence network or your favourite app store.