Reasons That You May Try To Return To Work Prematurely

Law Blog

When you've been injured on the job and have been home for a period of days or even weeks, you may feel an urge to get back to work. Doing so has some pros and cons. On the plus side, returning to work will give you a feeling of normalcy that may be lacking since the injury. On the negative side, returning to work prematurely could exacerbate an injury that hasn't fully healed, as well as show your employer that the injury perhaps wasn't as serious as you were letting on. The latter issue can especially be troublesome if you're pursuing a workers' compensation claim. In fact, many workers' comp attorneys will advise you to not return to work until conferring with them. Here are some reasons that you might be tempted to get back to work, even if it's not the best time to do so.

Get In Favor With Your Company

It's easy to feel as though your company doesn't think too highly of you when you've been injured on the job and are exploring your workers' compensation options. Even if your company's negligence caused the injury, you may feel a desire to get back into your company's good books. It's easy to feel that the longer you stay at home, the worse you're appearing in your company's eyes. You may think that returning to work prematurely will improve this relationship

Earn Some Money

A successful workers' compensation case will put a significant amount of money in your pockets, but until the case is resolved through a settlement or through court proceedings, you might be short on money. If your leave from work isn't paid, it might not take long for you to start to stress over your finances, especially if you're the family's primary earner. You may feel obligated to get back to work before you're ready simply to continue earning.

Improve Your Job Security

The longer you spend at home recovering from the workplace injury, the more you might start to worry about someone taking your place. If your time away from work is lengthy, companies will often hire a contract worker to perform your job. You may begin to worry that this person is doing a better job than you, and even though companies can't legally terminate employees because of workplace injuries, you may think that your company will find a reason to get rid of you and keep your replacement. With this mindset, returning to work prematurely may make you think that you're improving your job security.

If you have injured on the job, reach out to attorneys such as Oxner + Permar, PLLC.

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20 August 2018

Hurt at Work? Get the Compensation You Deserve

Getting hurt while on the job can leave you in pain and without an income for some time afterward, but that doesn't mean that you have to start going to the food banks to make ends meet. Working with a lawyer to file a personal injury case (if the injury was due to neglect by another party) is a great way to get compensation you deserve for lost work, and to get your medical bills paid so you don't have to pay out of pocket for high deductibles. This website was built with love to provide you with up-to-date information you can use when working with a lawyer, filing paperwork, and dealing with all of the hoops and red tape of your personal injury case. Hopefully you can find the support you need right here.