Can I get another job while on workers comp? What You Need To Know

Is It Possible Can I get another job while on workers comp?

When you’re injured at work, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits, which are designed to replace your income and compensate you for your medical bills and other related expenses while you recover from the injury.

Unfortunately, workers’ compensation benefits are notoriously low in many places and can fall short of covering all of your costs if your injury requires extensive medical treatment or leaves you unable to work full time.

If this sounds like it describes your situation, it may be tempting to go back to work early and pocket some of the money that you would otherwise receive in workers’ compensation payments.

Rehabilitation

The first thing you need to do is take care of your injury. Follow your doctor’s orders, and be sure to have a plan for after your treatment.

You’ll also want to see about getting vocational rehabilitation services through the state or federally funded program that offers help with retraining for those who have lost their job due to disability.

If you can’t work or are only able to work in a limited capacity, then you may qualify for compensation benefits from the state under workers’ comp laws.

In addition to this, many states offer income-replacement programs for short periods of time during periods where there is no insurance coverage available.

Return To Work

In a perfect world, if you’re injured and need to take time off from work, your company will give you all the paid time off you need. In reality, however, that’s not always possible.

Sometimes companies don’t have enough money in their budgets for long-term disability or workers compensation coverage. Other times, the workers comp system might tell an employer that they can’t get someone else to fill in for them for a certain length of time because the injury is so severe that no one can do their job at all.

This is when it becomes difficult for injured workers to decide whether or not they should try and get another job while they are recovering.

Disability Benefits

A disability can be caused by something physical, like an injury or sickness, or it may be the result of emotional trauma. If you’re unable to work while on disability, your employer may offer you the option of receiving workers’ compensation benefits instead.

Receiving workers’ compensation is a relatively simple process that requires you to fill out and submit an application with your employer’s assistance.

You’ll need to provide any necessary medical documentation that supports your claim in order for the application to be approved. If approved, you will receive regular checks from your employer until your disability expires or until you are able to return back to work.

A New Job or Continuation of Employer’s Insurance

This is a question that many people ask when they are injured at work, and for good reason: it may be possible for you to get another job while receiving workers compensation. The answer will depend largely upon the severity of your injury.

If your injury is too severe, then you will not be able to work again and will thus have no reason to return to work. However, if your injuries are less severe, then it may be possible for you to continue receiving workers compensation and find a new position.

In order for this plan of action to be successful, however, you must ensure that your employer’s insurance company knows about the new position so that they can make changes in coverage if necessary.

What if My Employer Chooses Not to Help Me?

If your employer refuses to get you a job while you’re off work, that doesn’t mean that you can’t find one. There are many resources available for employers and employees who are injured in the workplace.

For example, there is the Oregon Vocational Rehabilitation program which helps with rehabilitation, job placement, and training. You’ll need to have an interview with them first before they can help you though. In addition, try reaching out to local colleges and see if they have any programs that might be able for people with injuries like yours.

If all else fails, there’s always government jobs that require typing or light lifting at minimum. The pay isn’t great, but it could buy you some time until you can return to work.

Final thought

The answer is yes, you can get another job while on workers comp. But that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. If you are in a specific profession that does not allow for physical activity, such as law or teaching, then getting another job is probably not an option.

However, if you’re in a profession where you can still perform the duties of your original position with some modification (e.g., software engineer), and there is someone available to do the physical aspects of your job (e.g., graphic designer), then this is an option worth exploring.

In addition, if your wages were high before the injury, you might want to consider whether it would be better financially to work part-time rather than quitting.