On-the-job injuries can force a worker to leave in the middle of a shift. Depending on the scenario, employers may have to call someone in, rework the plan for the day or cease certain operations that the employee usually handles. Both parties experience economic losses through lost wages and lost productivity.
People who get hurt on the job may be eligible for workers’ compensation coverage. They can get benefits to pay for their medical care. If they need to take time away from work because of their injuries, workers’ compensation can also provide disability benefits. Eventually, those benefits may end or change when the worker is able to return to their employment. Who makes the decision about when an injured employee can get back to their job?
A doctor determines when recovery is sufficient
Some of the workers’ compensation process occurs between the worker and their employer. They may communicate about accommodations or the length of leave. Many of the main decisions, however, fall to the medical professional overseeing the worker’s treatment.
A physician determines if they can work safely or if they require time off to heal. They create the treatment plan and identify any functional limitations necessary to help the worker recover. They can also identify when a worker has achieved full recovery.
Doctors have the authority to end treatment benefits after a full recovery and to recommend a worker’s return to their job. In most cases, the goal is to get someone back to work as quickly as possible. Occasionally, workers may have injuries or medical conditions that may never fully heal.
Limb loss, repetitive strain disorders and severe fractures can cause lingering symptoms. In such scenarios, doctors may determine that workers have achieved maximum medical improvements (MMI). In such cases, ongoing treatment benefits usually end.
Instead, the worker is only eligible for symptom management benefits for medical care. They may also need to apply for permanent partial disability benefits because their condition is likely to continue to affect them indefinitely.
Those facing complex workers’ compensation claims or challenges when returning to work often need help. Learning more about how the system operates can help workers get the benefits they need to return to work safely, and not just as soon as possible.