What is Light Duty?
Light duty is temporary work assignments are given to injured employees who are unable to perform their normal job duties because of their injury.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, light duty work is described as “a temporary work assignment or modification that is less physically demanding than usual job duties, available to employees who are recovering from injuries or illnesses and are unable to perform their regular job duties.” As such, light duty is often used when an employee is recovering from an injury or illness and are unable to perform their regular job functions at full capacity. Light duty assignments are designed to accommodate the employee’s medical restrictions while facilitating their return to work and maintaining productivity.
Light duty is particularly beneficial to injured parties and companies because it allows for employee retention, and ensures companies comply with disability laws. Light duty can include administrative duties, modified tasks, or a flexible schedule. Understanding the purpose and benefits of light duty helps employers and employees navigate workplace accommodations and promote a safe and inclusive work environment.
More information about Light Duty
Can I Change Jobs While on Workers’ Compensation in Pennsylvania?
How to Consider Job Changes While on Workers Comp
If you’re on workers compensation after a work injury, but looking for a new job, you may be asking: Can I change jobs while on workers’ compensation in Pennsylvania? The answer to this question is a bit complicated and has multiple layers to it, which we will break down in this article. The first layer of the answer is: your workers’ compensation claim is based on when your work-related injury occurred. If you qualified for workers’ compensation at the time of the injury, then you are eligible to receive those benefits after suffering a work injury.
If you quit your job while on workers’ compensation, your former employer’s workers’ compensation insurance must still pay for medical treatment that is reasonable and necessary to the work injury. If you are currently receiving total disability wage loss benefits, […]
Read MoreMore information about Light Duty
Can I Be Fired While on Workers’ Compensation in Allentown?
Injured on the Job? You Have a Right to Workers Comp
If you were injured on the job in Allentown Pennsylvania, you may be asking “Can I be fired while on workers’ compensation in Allentown?” The answer is you have rights to compensation. Unfortunately, there are Allentown employers who do not want to pay fair compensation to their hurt employee and will terminate the employee unjustly for seeking workers’ compensation. This is illegal.
You have a right to workers’ compensation following a workplace injury and no employer has the right to terminate you for filing a claim. It can, however, be difficult to prove that your employer wrongfully terminated your position for filing a claim. This is where our Allentown workers’ compensation attorneys come in. They have been fighting for the rights of people like you for over 60 years. […]
Read MoreMore information about Light Duty
Light Duty and Workers’ Compensation
A workers’ comp lawyer at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys explains “light duty” assignment after a work injury
If you get injured at work, your employer may offer you “light duty” as an alternative to being out of work completely. But this can present a host of questions: What is considered light duty? Will accepting an offer of light duty work prevent me from collecting workers’ compensation? Will I be paid the same salary for light duty work?
Often, people have many valid questions concerning their workers’ compensation claim and precisely what it means if a doctor clears them for light duty. If you have questions about how light-duty work will affect your workers’ comp claim in Pennsylvania, you may want to consult with an experienced workers’ comp lawyer.
What is Light Duty Work?
Typically, […]
More information about Light Duty
Allentown Workers’ Compensation: Common Injuries
Allentown workers’ compensation and common work injuries
Each year workers in Pennsylvania report between 150,000 and 200,000 workplace injuries and illnesses, with more than 3,000 occurring in Allentown and surrounding Lehigh County. Injured employees face medical treatment bills and lost wages because of their injuries. Fortunately, employers in Pennsylvania and throughout the United States must carry workers’ compensation insurance to provide benefits for injured workers.
Like injuries outside the workplace, some work injuries are more severe than others. Generally, if you suffer an injury that interferes with your ability to do your job, you need to file a worker’s compensation claim. Sometimes employers can put an injured employee on “light duty” and give them different responsibilities they can physically handle. Other times, employees need to have weeks or months away from work to heal from a severe injury. […]
Read MoreMore information about Light Duty
Follow Up: Supreme Court Hears UPS Pregnancy Discrimination Case
Wednesday, the Supreme Court finally issued an opinion on the pregnancy discrimination case brought against UPS, siding in favor of former employee Peggy Young.
At the end of last year, we blogged about Peggy Young, the former UPS driver who brought a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit against United Parcel Service nearly ten years ago. When Young became pregnant with her third child, her doctor advised her that she should not lift more than 20lbs. Because her job duties required her to sometimes lift up to 70lbs, Young requested light duty assignment, which was available for other employees who could not perform their normal job duties due to a work injury, disability, or suspension of their Dept. of Transportation certification. Her request was denied and placed on unpaid medical leave.
Young sued under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act which says, “women affected by pregnancy, […]
Read More
