Yes, you can get another job while on workers’ compensation, but a new job can affect your benefits. Before starting new work, talk to your doctor about your restrictions and make sure the job fits within what you are physically able to do.
After a serious work injury, you may need or want to change jobs. You might not be able to return to your old position, your employer may not have light-duty work available, or you may decide to move into a different type of job. The important question is how that new job could affect your workers’ compensation benefits.
Talking to Your Doctor Before Taking a New Job
Before accepting a new job, talk with your doctor about your work restrictions and whether you can safely handle the position.
If your doctor clears you for light duty but your current employer cannot accommodate your restrictions, another job may be an option. The important thing is making sure the work fits within the restrictions your doctor has given you.
What If My Doctor Releases Me to Light Duty?
Being released to light duty does not necessarily mean you are ready to return to your regular job. Your doctor may give you restrictions on lifting, standing, driving or other parts of your work, and your employer may or may not have a job that fits those restrictions.
In the video below, Attorney Frank Kearney explains what light duty means in a workers’ compensation case, what can happen when your employer offers you a light-duty position and why it is important to understand your medical restrictions before returning to work.
What Are the Rules About Working While on Workers’ Compensation?
If you are receiving workers’ compensation benefits, working another job can affect what you are paid.
If you are receiving temporary total disability benefits because you cannot work, you cannot work another job and continue collecting those benefits without reporting it.
If your doctor clears you for light-duty work and you earn less than you did before your injury, you may still qualify for partial workers’ compensation benefits.
For example, if you earned $1,000 per week before your injury and now earn $700 per week, you may receive additional workers’ compensation benefits based on part of that $300 difference.
Because your wages can change, the amount of your benefits can change too. Our team helps make sure the insurance company is using the correct wage information and paying the benefits you are owed.
What Happens to My Benefits If I Change Jobs?
Changing jobs does not automatically end your workers’ compensation benefits.
- You may still receive benefits if you take a light-duty job that pays less than your pre-injury wages.
- You may still receive benefits if you change employers but continue working within your medical restrictions.
- You may still receive benefits if you take a different job because your injury prevents you from returning to your old work.
Your benefits may change depending on how much you earn, your medical restrictions and whether your doctor has released you to return to your regular job.
Considering a New Job While on Workers’ Comp?
Taking a new job can affect your workers’ compensation benefits, so it is worth understanding the consequences before making the change.
If you are considering changing jobs, contact Donahoe Kearney or call 202-393-3320. Our team can help you understand how a job change may affect your claim and benefits.
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