Workers Compensation Light Duty Work

As a general rule employers are not obligated to offer light duty work to workers seeking to return after a work related injury.

Workers compensation light duty work.

Such temporary modifications are called light duty limited duty or modified duty assignments. It is not uncommon for employees who are on leave and receiving workers compensation benefits to be released to return to work with light duty restrictions. A light duty position is one that accommodates the employee s work restrictions. Taking inventory performing administrative tasks supervising job sites working at a desk security monitoring.

To account for these situations some employers have designated light duty positions reserved for employees who are released to return to work on light duty after an occupational injury. Many employers will try to minimize an employee s wage loss by offering a light duty position during this time. By far the most expensive part of many workers compensation claims is the indemnity benefit paid to the injured worker for lost wages. But other state or federal laws may require employer your employer to accommodate your light duty work restrictions or to protect your job while you have work restrictions.

In workers compensation cases employees are expected to remain on the job if it is determined they can safely perform the modified duty. Under the workers compensation act no. If you injure yourself at work in pennsylvania and start to receive pa workers compensation benefits your employer may offer you light duty work which means doing a job that is less physically or mentally challenging than the tasks required in your full time job position. Implementing a light duty or modified duty return to work program at your company is great for business owners and for employees.

This reduces the amount of workers comp benefits paid to the employee and can ultimately lower the employer s insurance premium costs. There are however exceptions. The purpose behind light duty work is to get you back to gainful employment and to help relieve the employer s burden of paying future workers compensation benefits. In most cases some temporary modification of duties can be made for an employee that would allow them to return to work in a limited capacity subject to his her medical restrictions.

An additional goal of light duty work is to ease you back into the workforce by minimizing the risk of re injury. Employers are not obligated to offer light duty work to employees seeking to return to work after an on the job injury.