When a worker suffers an injury on the job, he or she may receive a number of benefits beyond monetary compensation for lost wages and the medical expenses of the recovery. In some cases, an employer may be responsible for providing vocational rehabilitation to the injured worker. Such assistance can meet a variety of needs the worker faces in the aftermath of an injury or illness.
Vocational rehabilitation is not a single remedy, but a broad term that includes many potential remedies, depending on the nature of the injury and the effects it has on the worker’s ability to perform his or her job.
This may include assistance in identifying other potential employment opportunities, financial assistance for education and training toward a different career or assistance assessing the workers’ skills and interests in other fields. It is important to note that the worker may face reductions in their monetary benefits if the employer offers forms of vocational rehabilitation that the worker refuses to accept.
If you believe that your workplace injury may leave you needing some vocational rehabilitation, it is wise to familiarize yourself with all of your available legal options as soon as you can. An experienced attorney can help you look closely at the circumstances that contributed to your workplace injury. He or she can asses the effects of the injury when determining how to best maximize your workers’ compensation benefits and get you back into the workforce in a position that meets your financial needs while protecting your priorities and rights in the workplace.
Source: FindLaw, “Rehabilitation Rights of Injured Workers,” accessed March 23, 2018
