Most injured workers simply want to put the injury behind them and get back to their normal job, but if your injuries make it impossible to work in your current state, you’ll need to wait until enough healing has occurred before you return to work. But who determines when you’re allowed to return to work, and how is this determination made? We explain who can give you clearance to return to work following an on-the-job injury in today’s blog.
When Can I Return To Work After An Injury?
You might believe that since you’re the injured party, you are the one who has final say in whether or not you are healthy enough to return to work. This is true if you decide not to file for workers’ compensation benefits, but that’s generally not a good idea if you miss work or receive medical bills as a direct result of your injuries. If you return to work, you’re essentially forfeiting your right to compensation, and that can make it harder to earn compensation in the event that your injuries get worse or do eventually decide you want to pursue compensation. So the decision to return to work is yours if you don’t pursue compensation, but you owe it to yourself to at least talk with a lawyer if you have lost income or incurred medical expenses as a result of your work injury.
Once you decide to pursue compensation, you are no longer the one who gets to decide when you are able to return to work. But who gets to make that decision? Your employer? Their insurance provider? Your lawyer?
Nope, that decision belongs to the physician you meet with to assess your work injuries. You’ll need to visit a doctor in order to move forward with an injury claim because the insurance provider needs to have an accurate gauge of your injuries and your ability to return to work. Nobody is better suited to provide this recommendation than a medical professional. During their evaluation, they will make notes as to what needs to be accomplished in order for the injured worker to return to work.
Based on their recommendations, you and your employer may be able to get a better understanding as to when and how you’ll return to work. Some common restrictions that are commonly put in place before an employee can return to work include:
- A certain amount of healing (as assessed during a follow-up) must occur.
- A person may be able to work if they do so in a light capacity.
- Employers must be able to make certain accommodations for the employee to return to work (no lifting over 20 pounds, ability to sit as needed, etc.)
- Working limited hours.
Your doctor makes the final determination, but you and your employer can also help to expedite the process for your return to work. If you take an active role in your rehabilitation program and your employer is willing to make certain accommodations so that you can perform some light duty work, you may be able to receive clearance from your physician to return in a specific capacity.
Finally, it’s also worth noting that your injury benefits can be terminated if you refuse to return to work even though you’ve received clearance from a physician. You may not want to return to work in a limited capacity or in a different role, but if you’ve been cleared by a doctor and your employer has made all the necessary accommodations, your benefits will likely be terminated for refusing gainful employment. You can certainly seek out a second medical opinion if you disagree with the first doctor’s evaluation, but you can’t just ignore their recommendations.
If you have questions about returning to work or earning compensation following a work injury, reach out to the team at Hey Workers today. Give us a call at (844) 439-9675.
