After suffering from a workplace injury, you likely wonder when you can get back to work due to the potential financial risk that going without work for too long can pose.
Your treating doctor is the one who will help you out in this situation. It is up to them to get you back into work with the right parameters in place to keep your recovery process going smoothly.
Returning to work in degrees
The California Department of Industrial Relations discusses the report a doctor must make that describes your current medical situation. They send this report to the administrator handling your claim, who will look over the doctor’s suggestion about when you can return to work and what sort of limitations may need to occur first.
Certain tasks might remain off limits to you for a while even after you get the doctor’s okay to get back to work. This can include tasks you physically cannot accomplish, or ones that might exacerbate your injury or set back your healing process if you engage. Doctors will alert you of the amount of loads you can safely lift and the degree that you can move any injured part of your body, and they will alert your workplace, too.
Recommendation of changes
They will also recommend changes to your work day. For example, the doctor may recommend you work shorter hours at first. They may also suggest you to wear or use certain devices for medical support during the workday, such as braces or mobility devices.
Finally, it might be possible to simply return to work without restriction due to the nature of the injury or healing process. But it is important to get the doctor’s okay and not just make assumptions, or you risk worsening your injuries.
