3 Things To Keep In Mind When Returning After A Work Injury

After a work injury, much of the focus is on ensuring that the injured worker gets the compensation they deserve, and rightfully so. However, our job doesn’t stop once we’ve secured compensation for our client. We also want to make sure that you make a strong and healthy transition back into the workplace, and that process can be difficult if you’re not careful. In today’s blog, we take a look at three things you’ll want to keep in mind when transitioning back to work following a work injury.

How To Safely Return To Work After An Injury

The following information is a bit generalized, because returning to work as a construction worker will look much different than returning to an office job, but you should be able to apply the following advice to your individual situation. Here are three pieces of advice you’ll want to keep in mind when returning to work after an injury.

1. Create A Return To Work Plan– Don’t just show back up to work one day and expect everything to just go back to how it was prior to your injury. Come in with a plan so that your return goes as expected. Connect with your boss, manager or HR representative and ensure that they can accommodate your return within any work restrictions that have been put in place. If you may need additional breaks or to work your way up to a full shift, communicate this with your employer sooner rather than later. They want you back at work, you want to get back to work, but this only occurs when the two sides talk and develop a plan for your safe return to work.

2. Heed Your Doctor’s Recommendations– If you are returning to work with restrictions or in a light duty capacity, it is imperative that you and your employer keep these restrictions in mind. If you ignore your doctor’s recommendations or your employer is not complying with your restrictions, continuing with your work could be detrimental to your health. It is easier to make sure that your employer follows your doctor’s instructions because they are legally obligated to do so, and it tends to be more common that employees simply push themselves too hard early in their return because they believe they can handle all the activities their job entails. Not only could it lead to a setback, but knowingly operating outside of your work restrictions can end up causing problems for your injury claim, so heed their advice.

3. Listen To Your Body – This tip falls in line with the above advice, but it’s imperative that you listen to your body as you transition back into the workforce. If something just doesn’t feel right or you’re still experiencing pain and discomfort, you need to report these symptoms to your supervisor. If you are still seeing your physician for care or you’re working with another professional like a physical therapist, you should also bring this discomfort to their attention. Gritting your teeth and pushing through pain just to earn a paycheck can cause original injuries to resurface or worsen, so don’t keep quiet if something starts to hurt.

If you do all these things and you trust your injury case to Dean and the team at Margolis Law Firm, we’re confident you’ll be pleased with your compensation case and your ability to get back to work in a safe capacity. For more information, or for help with any aspect of your injury case, give Dean and his team a call today at (952) 230-2700.