A workplace injury can significantly disrupt your work and private life. Thankfully, Minnesota law gives injured workers the right to claim workers’ compensation for injuries sustained on the job. As you recover, let us tell you what you need to know about the process of returning to work after workers’ compensation, what you need to know about the transition to work after injury, and your legal rights during this process.
Can You Return to Work After a Workers’ Compensation Claim?
Yes, you can return to work after filing a workers’ compensation claim in Minnesota. In fact, the Minnesota workers’ compensation system helps facilitate your workplace injury return-to-work process by filling in the income gap created by your injury and helping you create a safe and timely return-to-work plan.
Understanding Return-to-Work Options
When your doctor gives you a doctor’s clearance to return, they may qualify this clearance with any number of medical restrictions at work. These restrictions might include any of the following:
- Limiting the number of hours you can work
- Restricting certain physical activities
- Recommending light-duty assignments post-injury
Impact on Benefits
Your eligibility for continued workers’ compensation benefits may change once you return to work, but the transition between workers’ comp and job reinstatement does not automatically terminate all benefits. If you return with work restrictions and need continued disability payments because you returned to a job that pays less than yours or to part-time work, some form of wage loss payments may continue.
Your Rights When Returning to Work After a Work Injury
When you’ve been injured and are returning to work after time away to heal your injury, remember that you have rights. There are regulations and laws to prevent your employer from coercing you into returning to work before you are able or in unsafe conditions.
Accommodation Requirements
Your employer must make reasonable accommodation for your work injury as provided by your doctor. This accommodation might include giving you modified duties after injury, adjusting your schedule, or providing assistive devices.
Ongoing Medical Treatment
You also have the right to receive ongoing medical treatment for your work injury, even after returning to work. Your workers’ compensation insurance will cover reasonable and necessary medical care related to your injury.
Vocational Services and Protection
If you cannot return to your pre-injury position because of your injury, you may qualify for job placement assistance, retraining programs, or education to help you find suitable post-injury employment.
Additionally, the law grants you job protection against discrimination or retaliation for your workers’ compensation claim after your injury. By law, employers cannot terminate you solely because you filed a claim or exercised your rights under the workers’ compensation system.
Wage Considerations
If you return to work at a lower wage bracket due to your injury, you might receive temporary partial disability benefits to help offset the wage difference. These benefits typically equal two-thirds of the difference between your pre-injury wages and your current earnings.
Steps to Take Before Returning to Work
Proper preparation can make your workplace reentry after your claim much smoother. Follow these essential legal steps on your return from workers’ comp:
- Keep detailed records of all communications with your employer, insurance company, and medical providers regarding your return to work.
- Make sure your doctor provides a detailed doctor’s note on your return to work that specifies the activities you can and cannot perform.
- Contact your employer before your return date to discuss your restrictions and any necessary back-to-work accommodations. Clarify how your workers’ compensation benefits may change.
- If you have legal representation, create and review a return-to-work plan with your attorney to ensure compliance with Minnesota law and preserve your legal rights.
- Schedule follow-up appointments with your healthcare providers to monitor your recovery and adjust your work restrictions after injury as needed.
- Remember that you have the right to refuse to return to unsafe work if your employer cannot or will not accommodate your medical restrictions or fulfill their employer obligations after your injury.
How to Navigate Your Return to Work After an Injury
If you need to return to work after a workers’ compensation claim, trust the work injury attorneys at Robert Wilson & Associates to evaluate your case and explain your rights. We have over 30 years of experience helping clients handle the return-to-work process, and we stand ready to protect your legal rights, too.
Call us at (612) 334-3444 or fill out our online form for a free consultation, and let us protect you on your return to work after your work injury claim.