1. Working “light duty” with date of injury employer
When you sustain an injury at work and have been released to return to work in some capacity by your treating physician, you are able to return to work while continuing to make a workers’ compensation claim. The first place you will want to look for a job is with your date of injury employer. Your employer does not have an obligation to offer you a “light duty” job under the Workers’ Compensation Act, or any other law; however, Minnesota law expressly prohibit employers from discriminating or retaliating against an employee who has suffered a work injury or has made a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. In order to ensure that they do not violate Minnesota law, employers will many times look into making reasonable accommodations for an injured employee. In practice, this may mean that an employer may offer you a temporary, modified position, within your physical restrictions, until such time as you are released to full-duty work.