Connecticut workers who are injured on the job can get workers’ compensation benefits to cover for some or all they have lost in terms of wages and be covered for medical expenses. Since not all injuries are the same, there will be a variety of outcomes and assessments of a case based on its merits. For some workers, their injuries are significant enough that they cannot do the job they were doing when it happened, but they can do other types of work.
In such cases, workers should be moved to a separate job that fits in with their condition. Workers should be aware of this and know that employers can be ordered to do so and fined if they fail to provide that work. This work must be provided where it is available and be given while the worker is receiving medical care, rehabilitation or both. This will continue until the treatment stops based on a physician’s recommendation or when the therapist who oversees the rehabilitation says the worker has reached the highest level he or she will reach – whichever is longer.
If an employer does not transfer a worker to suitable employment where it is available, it will be investigated by the commissioner. The employer will then be ordered to provide the work on a different area. The order cannot conflict with a collective bargaining agreement between the union and the employer. Employers who fail to adhere to this rule can be fined up to $500.
There is often a perception that when a worker suffers a workplace injury or illness and needs workers’ compensation benefits that he or she cannot do any work at all. In truth, they can frequently do certain types of work that does not induce the physical and mental strain that their prior work did. If that is the case, the employer is obligated to transfer the worker to a suitable job if it is available. With this and any other issue related to workers’ compensation, having legal help is critical. Injured workers should call and seek advice regarding their case.
