What Are Light Duty Assignments in Arizona’s Workers’ Compensation?

WHEN YOU TEMPORARILY CANNOT WORK YOUR REGULAR JOB

After a workplace injury, depending on how serious it was, and whether you must wear a leg or arm cast, you may not be able to work the job you did before the accident happened. If there is a lot of pain involved, you certainly should not return to work for any position, until the pain is significantly reduced as the pain can alter vital decision-making processes. If in great pain, you will be a danger, not only to yourself but also to your fellow employees working around you.

Between the pain and the level of injury you sustained, you will not be allowed to work in your previous position until you are fully recovered, and your supervising doctor gives you an official letter to resume regular work. Instead, your employer may reassign you to a desk job if you have sufficient computer skills where you can do the work requested you. You also may have reduced hours too, as sitting for long hours after an injury can become painful too.

You could also work up the department’s shift schedule for each week, especially if you have a lot of experience in the department, thus giving a helping hand to your floor manager. But if your hand was injured, along with other injuries, and you cannot do any desk job or any other job, then you should stay home and spend time recuperating.

If you have computer skills, rather than coming into the office to work, ask if you can work from home instead. This allows you to take breaks to rest if injuries become more painful. Your over-riding mandate is to always look after yourself first by recuperating in the best way possible so you can return to work at full health sooner rather than later.

KEEPING A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR EMPLOYER

Alternatively, if your injury is severe enough that you cannot ever work in your previous position again, doing a light-duty job with your employer where you can be trained to do something else, may open up a new career for you. If you love numbers and have reasonable skills in data analysis, you could eventually move into a data analyst position.

Your areas of data analysis could include company logistics, such as delivery schedules, incoming products for manufacturing, inventory issues, figuring out how well the various departments of the company work together to meet goals, digital analysis of the company’s social media platforms, and much more.

As you probably know a lot about the company and its various departments, your smart employer can take advantage of this. What was a bad situation for you when you were injured, can turn into something far more profitable for your future.

ARIZONA EMPLOYERS OWE YOU NOTHING BUT PAYMENT FOR YOUR WORK

Arizona employers are not obligated to give their injured workers another job in a different area, especially when reduced hours are involved. The employer’s typical preference is that if you can recuperate now and come back to your old position in a reasonable amount of time, then that is the preferred way to go, instead of trying to work light duty in another position. It depends on the type of injuries you have and the type of employer (good or bad) you are working for.

Any light-duty work you do, must benefit your recuperation from your injury, and not create added stress in an already stressful environment that surrounds any injured worker. During the time you do work light duties, you will continue to receive your workers’ compensation benefits and have your medical bills paid. Never be in a situation where what work you are doing for your employer, aggravates your injuries further. Doing too much too soon in your recuperation period can make your injuries worse.

CAN YOU BE FIRED WHILE ON WORKERS’ COMPENSATION?

You can be fired while you are recuperating from your injury, but not because you filed a claim after an injury to get your benefits. If your employer says that to you, especially in front of another person who witnesses the exchange, then you have a discrimination case against your employer. Such cases are covered by Arizona Revised Statute § 12-541.

Call around to find the best attorney in your area handling Arizona employment cases. Chances are you can get a recommendation from your Arizona workers’ compensation attorney as you may need to make sure you will continue to receive workers’ compensation benefits without any problems. You can find out more information here in another post by us about the varied circumstances of getting fired and how you can protect yourself under certain circumstances.

CALL US IF YOU NEED HELP WITH YOUR CLAIM

Arizona Injury Law Group offers experienced and Certified workers’ compensation lawyers and legal services for injured workers. Call for your free consultation! 602-346-9009.