If you have had an accident at work, or perhaps elsewhere, then it can lead to injuries that can mean that you need to take time off work. When this kind of thing happens, if you are injured, then as an employee, you could be adding stress and worry to your injury as you might be wondering about how you will be able to pay your bills and wondering if your job is going to be hanging by a thread. As a result, work injuries really can cause employees to worry, as well as have a lot of questions about workers’ compensation and other kinds of benefits that will mean that their finances are taken care of until that can return to work.
Even if this hasn’t happened in your working life, you never know what is around the corner, so you may need to know what to do and how to deal with it. You could need to help a friend or family member if they are in a similar situation too; something like a traumatic brain injury (TBI) could mean large health bills, let alone a stop to a working life, so being able to learn more about TBI and other injuries and rehabilitation can be a pretty big deal. If you can help yourself or others, then it can make such a difference to the stress that can come with being off work or unable to work.
A good boss will usually reach out and be in touch from time to time as you are recovering and recuperating, so make sure that you are open and honest with them. It is a good chance to let them know what is going on, what changes may need to be made, as well as having things like your fears or being out of a job diminished.
Unable to Perform Work Due
In some instances, injuries that you get could cause you the inability to do the same type of job that you once did, simply because the injury can mean that you’re restricted in what you are able to do. However, when fit and well, you may be able to return to work doing light duty work or your employer should be able to make changes to your role, or give you another type of job to be doing, that won’t need you having to use the part of your body that is injured or weak. If that is the case, then injured employees need to be able to ask their employers if there is something that can do that doesn’t need time to do particular things, which should be something that you discuss with your doctor too. Where possible, an employer should be making reasonable adjustments so that you can carry on with your work.
If you sustained the injury at work, then there should be some worker’s compensation that means that you can have reemployment and there should be a provision to that. If this is the case, then the compensation should cover training and education, counseling, job-seeking skills training, job placement, and so on. If this isn’t possible, or you were injured elsewhere, like on a skiing vacation, for example, then you might have to request these kinds of services from the Division of Workers’ Compensation or Employee Assistance, so that you can get work if your original work has to change.
Even if the injury did not occur at the office, you could still make a claim. If you travel for work regularly to meet clients, attend events, or sell products, you may still be entitled to benefits. You can learn more about how personal injury lawyers could assist with any personal injury issues, especially if they occurred on the clock.
If they did not occur on the clock, it could still affect your work. This will depend on the nature of your injury. If you find yourself unable to perform your duties as you usually would (or need to fulfill them at a reduced capacity), you may require further advice for employment protection.
Getting the Benefits You Deserve
If you are injured and cannot work in any way after an injury, which you will have been told by a doctor, then being an injured employee can mean that you could have temporary disability or partial disability benefits. Unfortunately, these kinds of benefits can only pay out a small percentage of what you could claim, and they may not provide all of the income cover that you would normally be able to claim. When injured employees still have a bit of an impairment or a disability because of the injury, then it could be impossible for them to work again or means that there are work restrictions, which can mean that you may be entitled to receive money for those permanent changes.
On Returning to Work
If you have had an injury that means that you only need to be off work temporarily, then one of the most important things for you to think about and know about, is that you have a good dialogue with your employer or line manager. They will only be able to help you in the return to work if they are in a position to understand the exact state of your health and have an idea of the finer details that will aid your return to employment. If you try to go back to normal with your job role, and your doctor has signed off on things, but you do experience problems with it or have some physical or psychological problems, then only having an open dialogue will help with that. They are likely to expect that there will be some adjustments that they need to make. As a result, it may take a little time to get back to what you were doing and perform work as you have done before.
In some instances, if you have a disability, then it may prevent you from doing the job that you did before in the exact same way before. But if you are open to the idea, then a good employer should try to find a job role for which you are able to cope with and one that suits your skills, experience, and fits you well on a personal side too. There isn’t a time limit set on how long it will take to help you to recover from an injury that you have had. Of course, things like medication and rehabilitation treatment can be something that can impact your stamina levels and can be things that can induce mood swings, so that is something to think about, as well as be honest about with your employer. Give yourself as much time as possible to return to full-health, and then you will be able to get back to work and back on your career path.
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