If you are injured at work and have to take time off to recover, your ultimate goal is to get back to your job as soon as you can. You hopefully will be in the same shape as you were before your injury. In some instances, you may be able to return to work right after your injury with some restrictions in place. The following are some things to keep in mind.
How Can You Go Back to Work So Soon?
Even if you file for worker's compensation benefits, you may still be able to return to work soon. The benefits will pay your medical expenses, but you will not receive benefits for your lost wages when you go back to work.
If your injury is not too severe but you cannot perform your job as you normally would right away, your employer can have you return to your job with some restrictions in place. Restrictions typically consist of more light-duty tasks until you are fully healed and can return to your normal tasks.
For example, if you strained your back lifting heavy boxes, you could be placed on desk duty until you are well enough to go back to your more strenuous job. During your restrictions in this example, you will not be allowed to lift anything heavy. Your employer will provide you with specific details, including weight lifting restrictions, upon your return to work.
Will Your Pay be Impacted?
Any changes in your wages are up to the discretion of your employer. Many employers will continue to pay your normal wages even when you are restricted to different duties than your normal job. For example, if you are a nurse who works directly with lifting patients, you may have to take on more secretarial duties until you are fully healed. Typically, a nurse would make more money than a secretary. If your employer chooses to temporarily reduce your pay to that of a secretary, you can apply for partial disability payments to help make up the difference. However, if your light duty restrictions are only likely to last a short time, your employer may not want to bother with changing your pay only to return it to normal a short time later.
What If You Cannot Perform the Light Restrictions?
If your employer provides you with light restrictions and you cannot perform those tasks due to your injury, you may have to leave work on worker's compensation. You can speak to your human resources representative about your current worker's compensation benefits and make a request to stay at home to continue healing until you can at least perform the restricted work tasks.
For more information, reach out to a worker's compensation attorney.
