If you have been injured on the job, you should take the necessary steps to receive adequate workers’ compensation benefits. These include informing your employer immediately and seeing a physician who is sanctioned by your company. Many people can resume their old job without a hitch, but others may need to return in a different capacity. For example, if you strained your back on the job, your doctor may only approve you to work in a light duty capacity. Whatever the situation, your employer is required to make reasonable accommodation for you to return to work.
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The term “reasonable accommodation” can be a nebulous one. So how will it look for you when you return to the workplace? For starters, your employer may need to modify your work area to fit your physical needs. They may also need to implement a flexible work schedule on your behalf. If you have impaired hearing or speech due to your injuries, your boss may need to provide you with assistive technology such as readers or a TTY service, through which an operator types words on a screen as you speak on the telephone. In some cases, workers may be significantly impaired as a result of their injury, and the Americans with Disabilities Act will allow them to draw on extra protections.
Another thing that your employer can do is to reassign you to a different position within the company if your injuries keep you from being able to perform in the same capacity. This can be challenging if the new job pays less than your previous one. If you find yourself in this situation, you may be able to seek additional workers’ compensation benefits to make up for the difference in pay.
In a perfect world, every employer would make reasonable accommodations for injured employees returning to work. Unfortunately, this does not always play out as it should. If you find that your employer is not respecting your rights, contact the experienced team at Ramos Law Firm. We have many years of experience helping clients secure reasonable accommodations so that they can return to work with equitable pay in the wake of an occupational injury.