Introduction The Brazilian Public Healthcare System offers an occupational health service (OHS) regulated from the Primary Health Care to assist work injuries and diseases and collaborate to return-to-work (RTW), to ensure workplace accommodations for the rehabilitated worker.

Objective To understand the role of the OHS in the RTW process from the perspective of workers assisted by this service.

Qualitative research We interview eight workers assisted by OHS in 2017–2018 after discharge and RTW. We analyzed the speeches based on Discourse Analysis and interpreted them based on RTW and Psychodynamics of Work theoretical approaches.

Results OHS was considered helpful in the RTW mainly in the physical and psychological health recovery. Besides, it helped to guarantee workers’ rights regarding to the social security benefits and the employer’s responsibilities. However, workers highlighted the need for improvement inside OHS team communication and between them and workers, as well negotiations with the employer to workplace accommodations and better security conditions of work.

Conclusion OHS was considered helpful for individual recovery, but limited for RTW. Even so, workers recognize the relevance of this service in difficult and complex moments such as RTW, and also the protagonism of it when compared to other stakeholders. Considering the potential for articulations of the OHS we suggest it mediates actions together with workers and stakeholders to improve the RTW process.