The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development has been awarded a $2.5 million pilot grant to to help injured workers get back on their feet after a work injury. The grant will be awarded through the Retraining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN), and it will focus on finding ways to help employees stay at work or return to work after an on-the-job injury.
“Injury and illness happen in the workplace on a daily basis,” said DEED Commissioner Shawntera Hardy. “Now more than ever, we need Minnesotans to fully participate in the workforce. This grant will help find innovative and impactful ways to get people back to work after these events.”
Minnesota has one of the best return-to-work records in the nation, but there’s always room for improvement when it comes to getting employees back to work sooner or in a greater capacity. Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry Commissioner Ken Peterson said the goal of the grant is to “implement earlier intervention strategies” to keep employees at work or help them return to work sooner.
The RETAIN Project
Aside from helping employees return to work sooner, the RETAIN project also focuses on helping individuals who can’t return to their same job after an injury. Funding will help injured workers reduce their disability, retrain to adapt to a new position or find other ways to get back to work following an injury.
Not only will the grant help workers, but DEED also believes that it will reduce lost productivity after a work injury.
“Not being able to work can be very stressful for someone. It can have financial impacts,” said Dr. Laura Breeher, a physician at Mayo Clinic. “So this program is basically bringing together a bunch of existing programs and knowledge to give that injured worker a whole team behind them to help get them back to work.”
If you’re injured in a work accident, your first call should be to a workers’ compensation lawyer. They’ll be able to give you advice on your case, make a strong case to the insurance company and maximize your claim. They’ll also be able to explain other services you may be eligible for, including grants, personal injury claims or vocational rehabilitation services.
If you don’t talk to a lawyer, you may be leaving money and services on the table, so don’t try to go through the system all alone. For assistance with any aspect of your case, reach out to Margolis Law Firm today.
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