Authors: Kerri Wizner, MPH, Alight and Fred Schott
Full article here: https://thecdia.org/beyond-the-paycheck-the-health-benefits-of-work/
Publication date: Nov, 2025
When we talk about “benefits,” we usually mean financial ones—medical insurance, retirement security, and, of course, income protection. But there’s another kind of benefit that often goes overlooked: the health benefit of work itself.
That was the focus of our recent CDIA webinar, Beyond the Paycheck: The Health Benefits of Work, which brought together voices from across the disability income and return-to-work community. We explored the growing body of evidence showing that work, when it’s good work, is one of the most powerful drivers of recovery, resilience, and well-being.
Work as a Health Intervention
Research from occupational medicine and public health continues to affirm that people who remain engaged in work—or return to it sooner after an illness or injury—experience better physical and mental health outcomes.1234 Work offers more than a paycheck: it provides structure, purpose, and belonging.567 And, as one panelist noted, “When we help [workers on disability leave] engage in appropriate or meaningful work—even if it’s modified duty—it’s going to accelerate the healing process.”
From Claim to Recovery
For those of us in the disability and absence management space, this perspective changes how we see our work. A claim isn’t just a financial event; it’s a moment in someone’s health journey. By integrating early clinical input, using real job-demand data, and maintaining communication between the worker, the clinician, and the employer, we can shorten recovery times and strengthen outcomes.
The conversation also underscored how essential it is to address the psychological dimension of every disability claim. As one expert put it, “Just remember that any time that somebody is unable to work [because of a disability], it’s a psychological event—diagnosable or not. And we have to treat it as such.” That mindset shift invites greater empathy and more effective support across the claims process.
Why Setting Expectations Matters So Much
Among the many takeaways from the discussion, one thread stood out for me: the importance of setting clear expectations around recovery and return to work.
Kerri Wizner, Head of Epidemiology at CDIA member company MDGuidelines, reminded us that this process starts early—sometimes as early as the hospital discharge conversation. Workers who know what to expect, she said, experience less anxiety and recover faster. Uncertainty fuels stress and disengagement, while clarity builds confidence and momentum.89101112
Other panelists echoed this from different angles.
- Kimberly Kinney, Workers Compensation Director with Loma Linda University Health, described how losing the structure of work can leave injured employees adrift. Without clear communication about what comes next, “their minds can run wild,” she said—and that can slow both physical and psychological healing.
- Dr. Leslie Cadet, Founder/CEO of ASCEND Occupational Medical Consulting, emphasized that every absence from work has a psychological dimension. Anxiety and uncertainty don’t just affect morale—they alter sleep, adherence, and biological recovery itself.
- Dr. Kristen Tugman, CEO & Founder of Tugman Consulting, reframed the idea of motivation entirely: it’s not about whether someone is motivated to return, but what they are motivated for. Aligning expectations with a person’s values—providing for family, contributing to their team, reclaiming a sense of identity—turns recovery into a meaningful process rather than a countdown.
The consensus was clear: setting recovery expectations is not a soft skill; it’s a clinical, psychological, and operational intervention all at once. When done well, it shortens recovery times, reduces costs, and, most importantly, helps people feel seen and supported along the way.
A Strategic and Human Imperative
When asked for one thing they wished every CDIA member understood about the link between work and health, the panelists’ responses converged around two themes:
- It matters to your bottom line. Stronger links between work and health lead to stronger organizational performance.
- It’s about motivation and meaning. Return-to-work success depends less on whether people are motivated and more on what they’re motivated for.
These are reminders that our work as an industry sits at the intersection of human potential and economic vitality. Supporting recovery and return-to-work isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s a smart strategy for healthier people, healthier businesses, and a healthier society.
- US Dept of Health and Human Services (2025) Employment. ↩︎
- Henry Kaiser Family Foundation (2018) The Relationship Between Work and Health: Findings from a Literature Review. ↩︎
- Rueda S, Chambers L, Wilson M, et al. (2012) Association of returning to work with better health in working-aged adults: A systematic review. AJPH. 102. ↩︎
- Figueredo J, García-Ael C, Gragnano A, Topa G. (2020) Well-being at work after return to work: A systematic review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 17(20). ↩︎
- APHA (2023) Support Decent Work for All as a Public Health Goal in the United States. Policy 20223. ↩︎
- WHO (2025) Mental Health at Work. ↩︎
- CDC (2023) Work as a Key Social Determinant of Health: The Case for Including Work in All Health Data Collections. ↩︎
- Ciampa M, Liang J, O’Hara T, et al. (2023) Shared decision-making for postoperative opioid prescribing and preoperative pain management education decreases excess opioid burden. Surg Endosc 37. ↩︎
- Bleicher J, Esplin J, Blumling A, et al. (2021) Expectation-setting and patient education about pain control in the perioperative setting: A qualitative study. J Opioid Manag. 17(6). ↩︎
- Mondloch M, Cole D, Frank J. (2001) Does how you do depend on how you think you’ll do? A systematic review of the evidence for a relation between patients’ recovery expectations and health outcomes. CMAJ. 165 (2). ↩︎
- Wassinger C, Edwards DC, Bourassa M, et al. (2022) The role of patient recovery expectations in the outcomes of physical therapist intervention: a systematic review. Physical Therapy.102(4). ↩︎
- Wizner K, Harrell M, Berenji M, et al. (2021) Managing work disability to help patients return to the job. J Family Practice. 70(6). ↩︎
