Measure ability, support recovery, and make informed decisions with objective, evidence-based functional capacity evaluations across Ontario and Québec.
30+ Years of Experience
Registered Healthcare Professionals
NMSO Listed Provider
Objective assessments for safe, informed work decisions
A functional capacity evaluation (FCE) is a standardized, evidence-based assessment of an individual’s physical abilities conducted by a certified ergonomist or rehabilitation professional. Whether you’re planning a safe return to work, determining accommodation needs, managing a WSIB claim, or supporting disability adjudication, our functional capacity evaluations deliver the objective, measurable data your team needs to make fair and defensible decisions.
At Injury Prevention Plus, our functional capacity evaluations are grounded in real-world job demands, not generic benchmarks. We assess what the worker can actually do and compare it against the documented requirements of their specific role, ensuring every recommendation is both clinically sound and practically actionable.
What you receive after the evaluation
Following the assessment, you receive a comprehensive, professionally documented report that includes:
- Measured functional abilities and limitations across all tested domains
- Comparison of findings to documented job demands, where required
- Consistency and validity indicators throughout the assessment
- Clear recommendations for return-to-work, modified duties, or accommodations
- Documentation suitable for WSIB, insurers, legal representatives, and healthcare providers
- Optional: job matching summary comparing FCE findings to a specific PDA or JDA
When is a functional capacity evaluation needed?
Return-to-work planning
Determine whether a worker is physically ready to return to their full role, modified duties, or an alternative position following injury or illness.
Accommodation planning
Identify what a worker can and cannot do to support meaningful, OHRC-compliant accommodation decisions and modified duty plans.
WSIB claim adjudication
Provide objective, measurable evidence of an individual's functional abilities to support WSIB claim decisions and documentation requirements.
Legal & disability claims
Deliver defensible, professionally documented findings for use in insurance claims, disability adjudication, and litigation support.
Job placement & hiring
Match a candidate's or employee's current physical abilities to the documented demands of a specific role for safe and compliant placement decisions.
Rehabilitation planning
Provide healthcare providers with objective baseline data to inform treatment goals, rehabilitation milestones, and recovery timelines.
What's included in a functional capacity evaluation
Each functional capacity evaluation is conducted by an ergonomist or rehabilitation professional and includes a comprehensive, multi-stage assessment:
Comprehensive intake interview
A thorough review of the individual's medical history, current symptoms, job requirements, and treatment history to contextualize the assessment.
Musculoskeletal screening
Assessment of range of motion, muscle strength, joint integrity, and postural alignment relevant to the demands of the role.
Functional testing
Standardized testing of lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, and positional tolerances, with continuous pain and symptom monitoring throughout.
Functional task simulations
Job-specific task simulations aligned with the actual physical demands of the individual's role to assess real-world functional capacity.
Why functional capacity evaluations matter
Without objective functional capacity data, employers, insurers, and healthcare providers face:
Objective data from a functional capacity evaluation ensures decisions are fair, consistent, and grounded in measurable ability, not assumptions. This protects the employee, the employer, and every stakeholder involved in the recovery and reintegration process.
Return-to-work decisions based on assumption rather than measurable ability
Increased risk of re-injury from premature or unsupported reintegration
Legal exposure from undocumented or inconsistent accommodation decisions
WSIB and insurance disputes lacking objective clinical evidence
Delayed recovery and rehabilitation without accurate functional baselines
WSIB & Ontario Human Rights Code compliance
In Ontario, Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCEs) are a critical tool for meeting WSIB return-to-work requirements and Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC) duty-to-accommodate obligations.
They provide the standardized, objective documentation that WSIB adjudicators, insurers, and legal representatives require, ensuring that accommodation and reintegration decisions are both clinically grounded and legally defensible.
By establishing clear, undeniable boundaries of what a worker can safely do, these assessments effectively eliminate guesswork, drastically reduce the risk of re-injury, and protect employers from costly appeals or human rights disputes.
How FCEs support your organization
For employers & HR teams:
Defensible Decision-Making
Make defensible return-to-work and accommodation decisions
Financial & Claims Mitigation
Reduce re-injury risk and associated WSIB costs
Statutory Accommodation Compliance
Meet duty-to-accommodate obligations under the OHRC
Data-Driven Modified Duties
Support modified duty planning with objective functional data
Regulatory & Insurer Proof
Demonstrate compliance and due diligence to insurers and regulators
For insurers, legal & case managers:
Legally Defensible Findings
Access professionally documented, legally defensible findings
Objective Claim Adjudication
Support claim adjudication with standardized functional data
Independent Dispute Resolution
Resolve disputes with objective, independent clinical evidence
Measurable Rehabilitation Goals
Align rehabilitation goals with measurable functional outcomes
Collaborative Provider Coordination
Coordinate with treating healthcare providers using a shared evidence base
Who benefits from a functional capacity evaluation?
WSIB case managers & adjusters
Legal representatives & insurers
Employers & HR managing RTW programs
Healthcare providers & rehabilitation teams
Disability management professionals
Workers seeking objective ability documentation
Where we deliver functional capacity evaluations
Injury Prevention Plus provides FCE services across Ontario and Québec, with on-site delivery available at your facility or a designated assessment location:
Ottawa
Supporting government agencies, healthcare organizations, and private sector clients across the capital region.
Toronto
Serving corporate, municipal, industrial, and healthcare employers throughout the Greater Toronto Area.
Oakville
Providing personalized assessments for growing businesses and home-based professionals in the Halton region.
Hamilton
Helping regional employers, healthcare providers, and return-to-work coordinators across the greater Hamilton-Halton-Peel corridor.
Mississauga
Helping regional employers, healthcare providers, and return-to-work coordinators across the greater Hamilton-Halton-Peel corridor.
Gatineau
Helping regional employers, healthcare providers, and return-to-work coordinators across the greater Hamilton-Halton-Peel corridor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a functional capacity evaluation (FCE)?
A functional capacity evaluation (FCE) is a standardized, objective assessment of an individual’s physical abilities, including strength, endurance, posture, and movement conducted by a certified ergonomist or rehabilitation professional.
How long does a functional capacity evaluation take?
A comprehensive functional capacity evaluation takes between three and six hours, depending on the individual’s condition, the complexity of the job demands being assessed, and the number of functional domains being tested.
Is a functional capacity evaluation accepted by WSIB in Ontario?
Yes. Functional capacity evaluations are widely accepted by WSIB for return-to-work planning, modified duty adjudication, and claim documentation. Injury Prevention Plus produces FCE reports in standardized formats that meet WSIB and insurer expectations.
What is the difference between a functional capacity evaluation and a physical demands analysis?
A functional capacity evaluation (FCE) assesses what an individual worker can physically do, including their strength, endurance, and tolerances. A physical demands analysis (PDA) documents what a specific job requires.
Can a functional capacity evaluation be used for legal or insurance purposes?
Yes. FCE reports produced by Injury Prevention Plus are designed to meet the documentation standards required by insurers, legal representatives, and adjudicators. They include validity and consistency indicators, standardized functional data, and professionally documented findings.
Who conducts functional capacity evaluations at Injury Prevention Plus?
FCEs at Injury Prevention Plus are conducted by ergonomists and rehabilitation professionals with specialized training in functional assessment methodology. Our assessors evaluate a wide range of physical demands across different work environments.
Are functional capacity evaluations available in French?
Yes. Injury Prevention Plus provides fully bilingual functional capacity evaluations in English and French, with strong coverage for francophone workers and organizations in Gatineau, Québec, and across the National Capital Region.
Can a functional capacity evaluation be used for non-occupational injuries?
Yes. Injury Prevention Plus conducts functional capacity evaluations for both occupational injuries managed through WSIB and non-occupational injuries or illnesses managed through private insurance or employer accommodation programs.
Ready to schedule a functional capacity evaluation?
Ensure your decisions are informed, fair, and grounded in objective, measurable ability.
Serving Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, Mississauga, Oakville, Gatineau & beyond
