You should only return to work if you have medical clearance to do so and if you are confident in your doctor’s assessment of your condition. If your doctor determines that you can do light duty work without significant pain and without risking further injury then you may be able to do so. However, if returning to work—even on light duty—would jeopardize your potential recovery or cause you additional pain then you shouldn’t go back to work quite yet.
Employers Don’t Always Recommend the Right Thing
Your employer may be eager to have you back on the job in any capacity and may genuinely believe that putting you back to light duty work will not interfere with your recovery. That doesn’t mean your employer is right. Instead, you are going to have to advocate for yourself. You will have to tell your employer directly or through your construction accident lawyer that you are not returning to light duty work prior to your surgery for medical reasons.
Don’t Feel Bad About Protecting Yourself
Your decision not to return to work yet is based on the medical opinion of your doctor. You are not saying that you will never return to work. Instead, you are protecting your long-term health so that you can maximize your working potential in the years to come. It is your right to do this. It is your right to protect your own future and to take the necessary steps to recover as completely as possible.
If you would like more information about how to protect yourself after a construction accident, please browse our related links and read a free copy of our brochure: Hurt in a Construction Accident? You’re Not Alone.
