When you are recovering from a job-related injury in NJ, the thought of staying out of work for weeks or even months can be intense. Many injured workers worry about how they will support their families, whether their job will be waiting for them, and what happens if they are capable of doing some form of work but not the job they had before the injury. These concerns are completely understandable. They come up in nearly every conversation we have with New Jersey workers’ comp clients, and they highlight a practical question that often arises early in a claim: can you work while receiving workers’ compensation benefits in New Jersey?
It is a fair question because healing from an injury does not always mean total inability to work. Some people can handle modified tasks. Others want to supplement lost wages or simply feel better remaining active. This article walks through how New Jersey workers’ compensation law treats working during a claim, what is allowed, what may jeopardize benefits, and how to protect your rights while navigating a complicated system.
Understanding What New Jersey Workers’ Comp Benefits Actually Cover
Before determining whether you can work, it helps to understand the structure of workers’ compensation benefits in New Jersey. Workers’ comp is not a single payment. Instead, it is a set of benefits that compensate injured workers for medical care, lost wages, and long-term limitations. This means your ability to work will usually depend on which specific benefit you are receiving and what your doctor has said about your restrictions.
Temporary Total Disability Benefits in New Jersey
Temporary total disability (TTD) benefits are designed for workers who cannot perform their job duties because of a work-related injury. Under New Jersey law, TTD benefits begin once you miss more than seven days of work and continue until you are medically cleared to return to work in some capacity or reach maximum medical improvement. The key factor is your authorized workers’ comp doctor. If the doctor believes you cannot work at all, you receive TTD.
This means you generally cannot work a job that contradicts the doctor’s opinion. If you do physical tasks against your doctor's orders, the insurer may cut off your benefits or accuse you of fraud. This is why communicating with your doctor and obtaining clear documentation matters so much.
However, the rules are different when a doctor believes you can work with restrictions.
Modified Duty and Light Duty Work in New Jersey
Many employees in New Jersey rely on modified, restricted, or light-duty assignments once they are well enough to perform some tasks. If your employer can offer modified work that fits within your limitations, you are expected to accept it. This means you may return to work even while still receiving medical treatment and other workers’ comp benefits.
Problems arise when employers lack light-duty roles or offer work that does not match the doctor’s limits. In those situations, you may continue receiving TTD benefits until appropriate work becomes available. This is one of the most misunderstood parts of the New Jersey workers’ compensation system because workers often believe they must accept any work offered, even if it conflicts with their restrictions. That is not how the law works. The assigned job must be safe, appropriate, and consistent with the treating physician’s assessment.
Working at a Second Job While on New Jersey Workers’ Comp
A common question comes from workers who have more than one job. If the injury prevents you from performing your primary job but not your secondary job, can you continue working the second one?
The answer depends heavily on whether the activity matches your medical restrictions. If your authorized doctor allows you to perform certain functions and the second job fits within those limits, working may be permissible. However, any income earned while receiving TTD could reduce the amount of temporary disability benefits. In some cases, the insurer may argue that working elsewhere indicates a greater ability to work overall, which could jeopardize your benefits.
To avoid disputes, you should be transparent with your workers’ comp attorney before taking any outside work. Silence can lead to misunderstandings, which can quickly threaten your benefits.
How Permanent Partial and Permanent Total Benefits Work in New Jersey
Once you reach maximum medical improvement, New Jersey law evaluates whether you have a permanent disability. Temporary benefits end at this point. If you qualify for permanent partial disability benefits or permanent total disability benefits, you are paid based on your long-term impairment rather than your current work status.
This means some people who receive permanent partial disability benefits can work. It also means those receiving permanent total disability benefits usually cannot. Permanent total disability benefits are paid when a worker is unlikely to return to substantial gainful employment. If you obtain such benefits but begin working in a capacity that contradicts that assessment, the insurer may reassess or challenge your status.
Understanding which category you fall into is essential for complying with New Jersey’s rules.
Why Missteps in New Jersey Workers’ Comp Cases Happen So Easily
Many workers unintentionally jeopardize their benefits because they misunderstand the expectations placed on them. Employers and insurers may provide conflicting information, or workers may not receive a complete explanation of their restrictions. In some cases, employers push workers to return to duties that exceed what the treating doctor allows. In others, the insurer assumes any form of work means you no longer qualify for benefits.
The highly technical system of workers' comp makes mistakes easy, especially when your focus is on recovering from an injury. Having guidance from an attorney ensures you do not accidentally violate a rule that could delay treatment or reduce benefits.
When Working Can Actually Support Your New Jersey Workers’ Comp Claim
Although working while receiving benefits is often a point of concern, there are situations where returning to some form of work can help your claim. For instance, showing that you attempted light duties can demonstrate good faith if disputes arise later over whether you want to return to the workforce. It can also strengthen your credibility when discussing your limitations with the insurer or the court.
Returning to modified work also gives you the chance to test your physical abilities in a controlled environment. If you experience pain or limitations, the employer must report this to the treating physician, which may influence further medical decisions. This strengthens your documentation and prevents an insurer from claiming that you healed faster than expected.
What You Should Avoid Doing While Receiving New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Benefits
There are a few actions that consistently lead to benefit suspensions or fraud allegations. These include:
• Accepting work that contradicts your medical restrictions
• Performing physical tasks for cash or informal pay
• Working outside your employer while failing to report income to the insurer
• Participating in physically demanding hobbies that conflict with your injury claims
These situations often appear in surveillance videos, employer reports, or medical reevaluations, and they can seriously undermine your case. Staying aligned with your doctor’s guidance is the best protection against complications.
How New Jersey Workers’ Comp Doctors Influence Your Work Status
In New Jersey, only the authorized workers’ comp doctor controls your treatment and work status. Your personal physician can give an opinion, but it does not override the workers’ comp provider’s directives. This structure can frustrate injured workers because they may feel their personal doctor has a better grasp of their condition. Still, the workers’ comp system requires compliance with the authorized provider.
If you disagree with the assigned doctor, your attorney can challenge the restrictions or request additional evaluations. You should never take matters into your own hands by returning to work against medical advice.
Situations That Show How New Jersey Workers’ Comp Rules Apply
Consider a warehouse worker who injures her shoulder lifting heavy inventory. Her authorized workers’ comp doctor says she cannot perform overhead lifting but can do desk work. Her employer offers a temporary clerical assignment. Even though the employee is still healing and receives ongoing medical treatment, she can legally work in this temporary role.
Now consider a delivery driver injured in a collision who also has a part-time job stocking shelves in a small store. If the doctor prohibits lifting more than ten pounds, continuing at the store would violate his restrictions. Even though the second job is unrelated to his primary employer, doing work that contradicts restrictions would threaten his benefits.
These situations show how the focus remains on whether the worker’s tasks fit within the official medical guidance.
Need Legal Help? Brandon J. Broderick, Attorney at Law, is Just One Phone Call Away
If you have been hurt at work in New Jersey and are unsure whether you can return to your job, accept modified duties, or continue working at a second job, you do not have to figure it out alone. Misinterpretations regarding work restrictions or income reporting frequently jeopardize workers’ compensation claims. Even a minor oversight can result in a significant delay in essential medical treatment or the complete forfeiture of temporary disability benefits, leaving injured employees without a financial safety net during their recovery. Our New Jersey workers’ comp attorneys help injured workers navigate complex decisions about returning to work, responding to employer concerns, and protecting their long-term wage rights. We will help you with every step, whether your employer offered you modified duty, disputed your restrictions, or claimed you could work when you know you cannot.
Contact the legal team today at Brandon J. Broderick, Attorney at Law, for a free and confidential legal consultation. We are available to assist you day or night.