Rtwmatters.org is a member-only resource rich website that gives members direct access to a wealth of searchable information covering dozens of topics relating to RTW.

By joining rtwmatters.org today you’ll gain instant 24-hour access to the member-only areas of the site and gain the following benefits:
 

• A resource for learning and development
   
• Tools such as case studies, ways of communicating with treating practitioners, how to overcome common challenges
   
• Handbooks on injury and case management, and workplace systems
   
• Ideas for case management and influencing others such as senior management and employees
   
• Getting the perspectives of others in the field through cross disciplinary discussions and interviews with experts
   
• Support to communicate with others such as doctors, claims staff, rehabilitation professionals with evidence based information
   
• An community of support and sharing of ideas, particularly important for those working by themselves in industry
   
• Back up your opinions and help influence others in changing outdated beliefs through accessing ongoing reviews and translations of up to date evidence based research
   
• Broad range of information on topics relevant to the field, e.g. health and productivity, wellness programs, benchmarking RTW performance, and assessing and increasing motivation in employees
   
• Knowledge building seminar, conference and training in our events directory
   
• The best of the industry jobs, emailed weekly
   
• Keep  up to date on what’s happening around the world in RTW, we search for news and items of interest for you
   
• Downloadable RTW plans, letters and presentation templates and checklists.
   
• A weekly newsletter, for a quick overview of all new material.
   

How to get the most out of Return to Work Matters

Many members find our weekly newsletter a great way to keep an eye on what’s new around the site and to keep best practice RTW front of mind.

To get the most out of Return to Work Matters, we recommend you use the newsletter as a reminder to visit regularly to access our archive of over 1800 articles, guides and tools by:

•    Searching for keywords
•    Clicking on Topics
•    Browsing through sections

Searching for keywords:

Use the search function located at the top right corner of the home page and all other pages. This searches the entire text of all content in the site.

Using the search facility produces a list of all articles that match your keyword.

Clicking on topics:

Every article and research summary is tagged with one or more topics.   Go to the Topics page, accessible from the homepage, to see the list, and click on your subject of interest to see all of the content on that topic.

Where you see a topic image like those shown below, either on the homepage or in the weekly newsletter, they too will link to the list of resources available on that topic.

     
           
When you are reading an article you will see a list of other articles on that topic in a column to the left or right.  For example, if you are reading an article tagged under Workplace Culture, you will see a list of the other articles tagged with Workplace Culture.

Content in the Links section are not tagged with topics, so if you want to see all Workplace Culture material make sure you checkout the Links section for external links to sites with useful material.

Browsing through sections:

ARTICLES:

Written by the RTW team, our original articles cover issues that directly or indirectly impact return to work.  They are grouped under categories.    These original articles are supplemented by News; links to relevant material from other publications. Sub-navigation categories include:

RTW Care, Influences, Partners, Politics, Cases, News.

FEATURES:

RTWMatters contributes to the field through analysis and commentary from people experienced in the field.  In the features section you’ll find opinion articles and journalistic content on RTW statistics, system issues and what’s happening in the industry.

Lite relief:

Working in return to work can be demanding.  We reckon you deserve a laugh, so we’ve added this section to put a smile on your face.  Enjoy your day and your job and your outcomes will probably improve.  Well, at least your job satisfaction will.

RESEARCH:

A wealth of research on return to work has been done over the last twenty years.  Yet it is hard to access, difficult to read, and time consuming to understand.  In the Research section we summarise and simplify relevant research, or update you on new research studies with ‘hot off the press’ abstracts.

Research summaries are listed under categories.  RTW Management / The Workplace / Medical Issues / People Issues / System Issues.

HANDBOOKS:

The handbook section is our ‘how to’ guide of return to work management.

The handbook has been written by the RTWMatters team and is aimed at the breadth of experience of different RTW coordinators.  From those starting out, to those with a moderate level of experience, to those who have worked in the area for decades and are still looking to improve their outcomes.

LINKS:

We’ve searched the web for links that enrich, explain or augment our content on return to work.  You might find a patient handout on back pain, an article on goal setting, or an information package about good ergonomics in the office environment.

Material and links are grouped under major headings, RTW Management / The Workplace / Medical Issues / People Issues / System Issues / Professional Development.

TOOLS:

We have developed a range of generic material that can streamline your return to work management.  Letters to doctors, presentations to management, a checklist for high risk cases, can be downloaded, adapted and used freely.

EVENTS:

Meetings, conferences, and training opportunities are submitted to the site via a link on the events page by event organizers.  The RTWMatters team add to the list.  All events can be viewed by clicking on “Events” in the menu bar, or viewed by the meeting type by clicking on the drop down list.

JOBS:

Keep your eye on employment opportunities in the industry or advertise your position vacant for free in our job section.  We search the web for you to provide a comprehensive list of jobs in the industry, all in the one place. Job adverts are also sent out in our weekly newsletter.

SERVICES DIRECTORY:

Looking for a service provider in the RTW industry? Categories cover training, rehabilitation services through to consulting services. Some listings offer a special deal or discount for Return to Work Matters members too.