Workers’ compensation benefits are a crucial protection for employees. Those who get hurt on the job can apply for medical benefits. Workers’ compensation medical coverage can pay for their treatment until they are able to get back to work.
They can also potentially qualify for disability benefits. Temporary disability benefits protect those who can’t work or must take a lower-paying job until they heal. Those who need a short-term leave of absence from work while they undergo treatment for an illness or injury may be eligible for temporary disability benefits. Workers may want to make use of those benefits instead of using paid leave benefits from their employers.
Disability exists to protect paid leave
Not all workers receive paid leave benefits from their employers. They may not have the option of receiving their normal pay on days when they do not work. Even those who do have such benefits may have already used them for a prior illness or a recent vacation.
Even if they have hours accrued, they should be able to use them according to their own wishes and not to cover work-related challenges. Companies typically cannot force workers to use paid leave after an on-the-job injury.
Workers can typically request disability leave during a workers’ compensation claim until they heal enough to return to work. They may also be eligible for light-duty work where they return to their daily schedule with modified job responsibilities instead of taking an extended leave.
Too much leave can lead to complications
Employers should work with those who require leave as part of a worker’s compensation claim. Provided that they have instructions from a physician stating that time off to recover is necessary, orders should be able to take as much time as a doctor deems appropriate to undergo necessary treatments and make a full recovery.
Sometimes, employers may start blocking vacation or paid leave requests that come in on the heels of leave required because of workers’ compensation claims. Employees may need help asserting themselves, especially if they stand to lose their paid leave benefits if they do not use them by a certain date.
Properly responding to a workplace injury can help people reduce the financial impacts that work-acquired medical conditions have on their lives. Employees need to know about the rights that protect them when they require unpaid leave or workers’ compensation disability benefits after getting hurt on the job in order to navigate this situation to the best of their ability. Seeking legal guidance is a good way to get started.