Temporary assignment

When an employer offers another job to a worker who has had an employment injury, it is called a temporary assignment. A worker may be offered a temporary assignment when they are unable to perform the routine tasks of their job or sustain the work pace, work intensity or workload because of their employment injury or illness.

It is temporary because it applies as long as the person is unable to do their job or a suitable job because of their condition.

The temporary assignment helps workers return to work even if their employment injury has not healed or stabilized yet. It:

• helps them improve their abilities
• protects them from the harmful effects of inactivity
• allows them to maintain contact with their co-workers and employer
• allows them to remain present and active in their workplace

It allows the employer to:

• retain the expertise of their workforce in their company
• promote the maintenance of the cohesion of work teams
• reduce the amount of benefits charged to them

What work can be assigned?

The employer can propose a temporary assignment at the time of the injury.

The work assigned must be different from the work performed at the time of the injury. The worker may be assigned to the same job but with modifications such as:

• a reduction in the number of tasks to be performed
• an adjustment of the workload, work pace or work intensity

A temporary assignment can also be:

• another existing job in the company
• a job consisting of a set of tasks

The tasks must be compatible with the worker's physical and psychological condition, while also promoting their rehabilitation.

The employer must follow certain steps when assigning work temporarily.

If the worker disagrees with the temporary assignment proposed, they may contest their temporary assignment.

Maintenance of wages and employment benefits

If the temporary assignment is done according to the regular schedule, the employer must pay the worker the same wages and benefits as for their job or those they would have received had they continued to do their job normally.

If the temporary assignment is done on a reduced-time basis, the employer indicates the option they choose to pay the wages and benefits when they complete the Temporary work assignment form. Choices can be made when completing the steps to be followed to propose a temporary assignment (in French only). 

Interruption or end of a temporary assignment

The worker is obliged to do their temporary assignment. Certain situations, whether work related or not, may interrupt the temporary assignment. This interruption may affect payment of the income replacement indemnity.

The CNESST may suspend payment of an indemnity when a worker fails or refuses, without valid reason, to do the work their employer temporarily assigns to them and which they are obliged to do. In this case, the CNESST assesses the appropriateness of suspending or reducing the income replacement indemnity, where applicable.