If you have been seriously injured on the job, you may anxious to get back to work, even after missing a few days. Most research shows that the sooner you are able to return to work, the better your chances are for a full recovery for both health and finances. Unfortunately you may not have the same job choices after your injury. This is where the insurance carrier’s attempt to rehabilitate you becomes less about you and more about them.
Insurance carriers are especially eager for you to return to work after a work related injury because they want to minimize the loss they experience when they pay your benefits. Sometimes however, going back to work too soon can cause set-backs in recovery or even create the possibility of re-injuring yourself. You should make sure that the doctor who is managing your recovery and rehabilitation has given medical approval for you to return to work.
What happens if you are unable to return to the same job you had before your injury?
Insurance carriers provide vocational rehabilitation for workers who are unable to return to their previous job because of the injuries they have suffered. It includes:
- On the job training
- Interview skills assistance
- Resume completion services
- Transferable skills assistance
- Job search assistance
The practice of insurance carrier job search assistance or replacement and vocational rehabilitation are tactics the insurance company will use to try to avoid paying you benefits. If you do not take the jobs that are provided through the job search assistance provided by the insurance carrier, they may use this as a reason to suspend your benefits. Under Arkansas law, an injured employee who refuses suitable employment is not entitled to compensation during the period of his or her refusal. They can say that you failed to comply with rehabilitation efforts or that you refused suitable employment and then deny further benefits.
The concerns that many people have when accepting temporary jobs through vocational rehabilitation are legitimate. Sometimes, these jobs are provided through third party employment agencies. The placements they offer sometimes do not have any job security or benefits. If you have been recently injured on the job, your employer or their insurance carrier may place you in a job that may be temporary or not a real job. There are many factors that you should consider if you are uncertain about the legitimacy of a job offer. If you have questions, call us to talk about your case and legal rights.