While there are certainly some on-the-job injuries that will prevent you from ever working again, the goal of most people who are hurt at work is to eventually resume their career. It might not be advisable to jump right into the job, however, which means that your workers' compensation attorney will likely advocate for — and negotiate on your behalf — the idea of you getting back to work on what is known as light duty. Working light duty will allow you to assess your ability, both mentally and physically, to do the job. Here are three ways to approach returning to work on light duty.
Shortened Workday
Your workers' compensation lawyer may suggest that getting back to work with shortened workdays will be a good fit for you. This type of light duty allows you to work in your former role but in short stints. For example, instead of working for eight hours a day, you might start by working three or four hours. This type of work schedule is less strenuous on your body and can be instrumental in preventing you from re-aggravating your original workplace injury.
Partial Workweek
Another way to approach returning to work on light duty is to work a partial workweek. If you, your doctor, and your attorney all feel that you're capable of working a full day, you might be eager to do so. However, it may be smart to avoid working a five-day workweek until you can assess how returning to work is affecting you. For example, you might start by working two or three days a week. In the latter scenario, working Monday, Wednesday, and Friday will give you one or more days off between workdays, which can be critical in allowing your body to rest.
Regular Work, But With Breaks
Eventually, you'll hopefully be able to return to regular work — this could be somewhere between 35 and 40 hours a week, spread over five days, for example. Before you consider yourself to be working full-time again, however, you may want to try a version of light duty such as working for one week and taking the next week off. Getting re-injured at work leads to more legal challenges, and after you've been through a workers' compensation case, you probably don't want to deal with another injury. Each of these versions of light duty can help to avoid getting hurt on the job again.
Share20 February 2019
Although I am far from perfect, I have focused on abiding by the local laws for the vast majority of my life. Unfortunately, about five years ago, I realized that I was being accused of a crime that I didn't commit. I thought about letting the trial run its course, but then I realized that fighting would be important to ensure my future. I teamed up with a great lawyer, and things became much easier overnight. My legal counsel told me what to do and what to avoid, and he was able to prove the facts in a court of law. This blog is all about choosing to fight charges.