Functional Capacity Evaluations

Measure ability, support recovery, and make informed decisions with objective, evidence-based functional capacity evaluations across Ontario and Québec.

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.

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:

• STAGE 1 : Comprehensive intake interview

A thorough review of the individual's medical history, current symptoms, job requirements, and treatment history to contextualize the assessment.

• STAGE 2 : Musculoskeletal screening

Assessment of range of motion, muscle strength, joint integrity, and postural alignment relevant to the demands of the role.

• STAGE 3 : Functional testing

Standardized testing of lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, and positional tolerances, with continuous pain and symptom monitoring throughout.

• STAGE 4 : Functional task simulations

Job-specific task simulations aligned with the actual physical demands of the individual's role to assess real-world functional capacity.

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

Why functional capacity evaluations matter

Without objective functional capacity data, employers, insurers, and healthcare providers face:

• 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

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.

How FCEs support your organization

For employers & HR teams:

• Make defensible return-to-work and accommodation decisions

• Reduce re-injury risk and associated WSIB costs

• Meet duty-to-accommodate obligations under the OHRC

• Support modified duty planning with objective functional data

• Demonstrate compliance and due diligence to insurers and regulators

For insurers, legal & case managers:

• Access professionally documented, legally defensible findings

• Support claim adjudication with standardized functional data

• Resolve disputes with objective, independent clinical evidence

• Align rehabilitation goals with measurable functional outcomes

• Coordinate with treating healthcare providers using a shared evidence base

WSIB & Ontario Human Rights Code compliance

In Ontario, functional capacity evaluations are a key 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, making sure that accommodation and reintegration decisions are both clinically grounded and legally defensible.