How to Safely Return to Work After Your Workers’ Compensation Benefits End

When Ohio workers are injured on the job, they can apply for and receive workers’ compensation benefits. Although lifetime benefits exist for permanent injuries, most injured workers receive temporary benefits. These benefits can last anywhere from a few weeks for minor, temporary injuries to up to 200 weeks for serious injuries resulting in long-term disability.

Workers’ compensation benefits typically end once a doctor determines that an injured worker has reached maximum medical improvement (MMI) and can return to work.

If you were hurt at work and were approved for temporary benefits, it’s important to be ready to return to work when your benefits end. This blog offers tips and information to help you transition back to the workforce after recovering from an on-the-job injury.

Take These Steps When Returning to Work

Safely returning to work after your workers' compensation benefits end involves careful planning and communication with your healthcare provider and employer.

Here are steps you can take to ensure a safe transition:

• Get Medical Clearance: Ensure you have medical clearance to return to work from your doctor. This clearance should detail any restrictions or accommodations needed to prevent re-injury. Your doctor may even recommend returning to work on light duty only at first rather than full duty.
  
• Make a Gradual Return: Consider a gradual return to work. This approach helps your body adjust and reduces the risk of overexertion. It can initially include part-time hours or light duties while you increase your strength and endurance.
  
• Don’t Overdo It: When you’ve been back on the job for a few days or weeks and are starting to feel like your old self again, you may want to prove that you’ve fully recovered from your injury. However, overexertion, whether lifting heavy objects or working long hours, can increase your risk of aggravating your injury and put you back at square one.
  
• Ask for Workplace Accommodations: Discuss any necessary workplace accommodations with your employer to decrease your risk of further injury. This could involve modified duties, ergonomic adjustments, or assistive devices to help you perform your job safely.
  
• Communicate With Your Employer: Maintain open communication with your employer about your recovery progress and any difficulties you encounter. This will help them understand your needs and make any necessary adjustments to your work conditions.
  
• Attend Follow-up Appointments: Continue to attend follow-up medical appointments to monitor your recovery. Your healthcare provider can provide ongoing advice and adjust your treatment plan as needed.
  
• Utilize Rehabilitation Programs: Participate in any recommended rehabilitation programs. These programs can help you regain strength, improve mobility, and learn techniques to avoid re-injury.

What Should I Do if I Don’t Feel Recovered Enough to Return to Work?

When your doctor says you’ve reached MMI, your benefits will end, and you must return to work. However, your doctor’s opinion of your capabilities may be overly optimistic. You know your body best, and if you don’t feel ready to return to work, avoiding a potentially devastating setback is important.

Here’s what you should do:

• Tell Your Employer About Your Concerns: Inform your employer immediately about your health concerns. Provide specific details about the symptoms or issues you're experiencing that affect your ability to perform your job safely and effectively.
  
• Visit Your Doctor: Schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider as soon as possible. Explain your current condition and how it impacts your work. Your doctor can reassess your health status and determine if you need further treatment or if your work duties need modification. 
  
• Request Modified Duties or Accommodations: Based on your doctor's recommendations, ask your employer for modified duties or reasonable accommodations. This could include changes in your work tasks, a reduced schedule, or adjustments to your work environment to better suit your current health condition.
  
• File a New Workers' Compensation Claim: If your condition worsens or if a new injury occurs, you may be eligible to file a new workers' compensation claim. Document all relevant details about your symptoms and any workplace activities contributing to your injury.
  
• Consider Taking Medical Leave: If your health condition prevents you from working, consider taking medical leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). This federal law allows eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for serious health conditions.

Don’t let anyone rush you into returning to work. Recovering from on-the-job injuries takes time, and your body may be more susceptible to new injuries or aggravating your existing injury if you return to work before you’re ready.

Our Ohio Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Can Help Protect Your Rights

Ohio’s workers’ compensation system provides an invaluable resource for injured workers. However, to ensure the system is used fairly and only by those who genuinely need it, it’s common for workers to be pushed back into the workforce before they’re ready.

At Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy, we work hard to help injured workers get and keep the benefits they deserve. Contact our Ohio workers’ compensation lawyers anytime for a free consultation. Whether you need help obtaining benefits or filing a new workers’ compensation claim after an injury caused by returning to work too soon, we want to help.

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