You've Been Asked To Return To Work Before You Are Ready

Gary Christmas of Howell and Christmas, LLC, your Charleston workers' compensation law firm, talks about what to do if you've been asked to return to work by your employer and their insurance company before you are ready. The immediate question is, do I have to go back to work? Mr. Christmas suggests showing a good faith effort to try and do whatever your doctor says you are physically capable of doing. It is important to listen to your doctor because he/she is the one who will be determining your work restrictions and place you in one of three categories. The first category is Full Duty, which means you are able to go back to work and fulfill the duties you were able to do before your injury. Second is Light Duty, which is some type of modified job duty, including but not limited to lifting restrictions or requiring you to sit, stand, or alternate for a certain amount of time. The final category is No Duty, if your doctor takes you completely out of work and says you can't work, then you can't work. If your doctor has put you on Light Duty restrictions, and your employer and their insurance company are demanding you return to work, you should try to return to the job and make a good faith effort to do the job within the work restrictions. If your employer violates your work restrictions, you should raise your hand immediately and say you want to go back to the doctor and have your work restrictions reassessed to make sure your employer is honoring those restrictions. If your employer honors your work restrictions, but you are unable to complete tasks because of pain or other limitations, again see your doctor and inform he/she that the restrictions are outside of the duties you can comfortably perform. While it may seem there is a lot bouncing back and forth between work and the doctor's office, many times doctor's lay out work restrictions to see if they apply and are waiting to hear your feedback. Your reports and feedback are the only way for your doctor to set the proper work restrictions for your individual needs. Remember, communication with your doctor is essential to making a full recovery and getting back to work quickly, and in the best shape possible.

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• howell
• christmas