Case Studies

Sun Life Financial has a long track record of helping disabled employees back to work. The following are just a few examples of employees we've already helped:

New Chair for Man Recovering from Motorcycle Accident

A motorcycle accident left a 29-year old machinist with severe internal injuries and broken bones. Despite a dramatic recovery, he still had difficulties standing upright, so a Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada rehabilitation counselor performed an ergonomic analysis and provided him with a rolling adjustable chair to use until he was completely healed.

Outcome: The machinist returned to full-time work with his original employer.

Help for an Injured Worker Starting His Own Business

A 26-year old injured his wrist so severely that he could never work as an ore miner again. A Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada counselor learned that this man could still do the hobby he loved -- building outdoor furniture. Sun Life gave him the $1,500 needed to buy tools and launch his own small business.

Outcome: The worker now has a thriving full-time business, earning more than he did as a miner.

New Suit Opens Door to New Job

Disabled from his job, a young man was working with Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada to find a new career. We provided job counseling, arranged mock interviews and gave him several job leads. However, due to his limited finances, the man couldn't afford a suit to wear during job interviews. Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada paid for a new suit, enabling the young man go on interviews.

Outcome: The worker returned to work full-time with a new employer.

New Start for Man with Long Term Disability

A 34-year old man had been totally disabled for 15 years. He had received a gunshot wound when he was 19 (as he puts it, "Wrong place at the wrong time") and had been paralyzed from the waist down ever since. After 15 years, he was considering working part-time and called our Rehabilitation Counselors for help. With very limited work experience and little education, the man was in a wheelchair, living with his mother.

After discussing the man's interests and goals, our Rehabilitation Counselors created a return to work plan that involved getting him a driver's license, his own wheelchair-accessible apartment, and training to become a library aide. Thrilled to have his own private living space and a wheelchair-accessible bathroom for the first time, the man is looking forward to a new beginning to his life. Grateful for his new-found independence, he now refers to his rehabilitation counselor as his "guardian angel sent by Sun Life Financial."
Outcome: The claimant returned to part-time work as a library aide and looks forward to working full-time someday.

Names have been changed to protect confidentiality.