Getting the call that you’re cleared for "light duty" after a workplace injury should feel like a relief. But for so many injured workers, it’s the start of a new, confusing, and stressful chapter. You’re in pain and trying to heal, but you suddenly feel immense pressure to return to a job that may not be safe for you. If you feel lost, you are far from alone. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2023 reported 581,000 cases where a worker’s injury was so significant it required a job transfer or restriction.

Those 581,000 cases resulted in a staggering 22.4 million days of restricted work, according to OSHA data. That’s millions of days where workers, just like you, had to navigate a system that often feels stacked against them. This article is for you. We will address the most common and difficult issues related to light-duty work in workers' compensation, from being pressured to ignore your doctor’s orders to facing a sudden pay cut. Your fears are valid, and knowing your rights is the first step to protecting your health and your claim.

This phase of your workers' compensation claim is a high-stakes period where a single misstep could jeopardize your benefits or even your health. We will examine the most frequent and serious issues claimants encounter when assigned to light-duty work.

What Is 'Workers’ Comp Restricted Duty' or Light Duty?

First, it’s important to know that "light duty" (also called "restricted duty" or "modified duty") is not a formal legal classification. Instead, it is a practical term for any job or set of tasks that your employer offers you that specifically accommodates the medical restrictions your doctor has ordered.

These restrictions are the core of the arrangement. They might include:

• No lifting, pushing, or pulling more than 10 pounds.
• No repetitive bending or squatting.
• Work must be performed from a seated position.
• Limited standing or walking (e.g., no more than 1 hour total per shift).
• No use of your injured arm or hand.

The primary motivation for employers and their insurance carriers to offer light duty is financial. When you are completely unable to work, the insurer must pay Temporary Total Disability (TTD) benefits, which replace a significant portion of your lost wages.

If they can bring you back to work—even in a limited capacity—they can often reduce their payout. If you earn wages in your light-duty role, your benefits may switch to Temporary Partial Disability (TPD). TPD is designed to make up only a portion (e.g., two-thirds) of the difference between your pre-injury wages and your new, lower light-duty wages. If the light-duty job pays your full pre-injury wage, your wage-replacement benefits stop, even if you are working fewer hours or doing a different job.

The Doctor's Note: The Key to Returning to Light Duty After Injury

The entire light-duty process hinges on one document: your doctor's medical report. This note, sometimes called a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE), outlines your specific physical limitations.

Here, vagueness is your enemy. A note that simply says "light duty" is an open invitation for an employer to misinterpret your needs. A strong medical note is highly specific, listing concrete limitations in terms of weights, durations, and forbidden movements.

This is also where a common conflict arises: the "battle of the doctors." Your treating physician, whom you see regularly, may provide one set of restrictions. The insurance company, however, has the right to send you to an Independent Medical Examination (IME) with a doctor of their choosing.

It is not uncommon for the IME doctor, after a brief examination, to declare you capable of more strenuous work than your own doctor recommends. This creates an immediate dispute that can put your benefits at risk, as the employer will almost certainly use the IME report to justify their light-duty offer.

The Most Common Workers’ Comp Light Duty Issues

Once an offer is made, a new range of challenges can appear. An injured worker is often caught between protecting their health and proving they are cooperative.

Unsuitable Light Duty Assignments After Injury

The most frequent and dangerous problem is an unsuitable job offer. The law generally requires the light-duty offer to be a good-faith offer for a suitable position.

Working Outside Your Restrictions This is the most significant warning sign. You may be given a light-duty job title, but your supervisor quickly starts asking you to do "just one thing" that violates your restrictions.

• "Can you just help me move this box?"
• "I know you're supposed to sit, but we really need you to cover the front desk."
• "The other guys are handling the heavy stuff, but you can sweep the floor." (Even though your restrictions forbid repetitive pushing/pulling).

Many workers, fearing they will be fired for being "difficult," comply with these requests. This can lead to re-injury, a significant setback in recovery, and provides the insurance company a powerful argument that you must not have been as injured as you claimed.

"Make-Work" and Hostile Environments Sometimes the job offered is not work at all. Claimants report being told to sit in an empty room and stare at a wall for eight hours or to perform demeaning, pointless tasks like shredding paper all day.

While this may be technically "within your restrictions," it can be a form of soft retaliation. This tactic is sometimes used to make an employee so miserable that they quit. If you quit, you forfeit your workers' compensation benefits. This is a devastating and irreversible mistake.

Navigating Workers’ Comp Light Duty Policies and Employer Pressure

Your employer's internal policies—or lack thereof—add another layer of complexity. Some large companies have well-defined light-duty programs. Many smaller businesses do not.

This often results in employers claiming they have no light-duty work available. If your employer legitimately cannot accommodate your restrictions, you should typically continue to receive your Temporary Total Disability benefits. However, an employer may simply claim they have no work as a way to pressure you into returning to your old job before you are medically ready.

This pressure can be immense. You may get calls from supervisors or colleagues guilt-tripping you or subtle threats about your job security.

Pay and Benefit Problems: More Common Issues Workers' Compensation Claimants Face

A light-duty job almost always involves a change in your pay, and this is a major source of confusion and error.

Reduced Hours and Pay Your light-duty assignment may be for fewer hours or at a lower hourly rate than your pre-injury job. As mentioned, this should trigger Temporary Partial Disability (TPD) benefits.

Unfortunately, claimants often face two problems:

1. Incorrect Calculations: The insurer incorrectly calculates the TPD amount, shorting you on every check.
2. Delayed Payments: The TPD checks are delayed, leaving you with a significant income gap and immense financial stress.

You are not expected to simply accept a financial loss. It is essential to check the math on every single benefit check and wage statement.

What If You Have a Light Duty Work Dispute?

This is the most critical question many claimants face. How should you proceed if the job offer appears unsafe, unfair, or is causing you discomfort?

Refusing a 'Suitable' Light Duty Job: A Major Workers' Comp Claim Challenge

Here is the harsh truth: If you refuse a suitable offer of light-duty work that meets your doctor-ordered restrictions, your wage-replacement benefits will almost certainly be stopped.

This is the leverage that the insurance company possesses. They will file paperwork to terminate your benefits, claiming you are "non-compliant" with your medical treatment and recovery plan.

However, the key word is "suitable." You are not required to accept an unsuitable job. A justifiable refusal—one that a lawyer can defend—is based on solid facts.

Justifiable reasons for refusing a light-duty offer may include:

• Medical Unsuitability: The job requires tasks that your doctor has explicitly forbidden.
• Unreasonable Location: The job is at a different location with a drastically longer or more difficult commute.
• Conflicts with Treatment: The work schedule directly conflicts with your pre-scheduled, necessary medical appointments (like physical therapy).
• Significant Pay/Hour Discrepancy: While some change is expected, an offer that is completely unreasonable (e.g., one shift per week) may be challenged as a bad-faith offer.

You cannot simply stop showing up. Refusing an offer requires a formal, immediate response, preferably from an experienced workers' compensation attorney.

What Protects Your Light-Duty Work Legal Rights?

When you are in a light-duty position, you still have rights. Your employer cannot fire you simply for getting hurt (this is known as retaliatory discharge). They also cannot systematically harass you or discriminate against you based on your injury or disability status.

Your most important right is the right to a safe work environment that accommodates your medical needs. If the employer fails to provide this, you have the right to dispute the arrangement without immediately losing your benefits.

Protecting Yourself: A Guide for a Workplace Injury Light Duty Return

If you are offered a light-duty position, you must act strategically to protect your health and your claim.

The Role of Medical Documentation

Your entire case rests on your medical records.

• Get Specific Notes: Before you return, ask your doctor for a detailed list of restrictions.
• Report All Pain: If your light-duty tasks are causing you pain or new symptoms, you must report it to your doctor immediately. Be specific: "When I stand for 20 minutes, my back starts to spasm." This creates a medical record that the job is aggravating your condition.
• Provide Updates: Provide a copy of every new doctor's note to your employer and your attorney right away.

Communicating About Your Light Duty Job (Workers' Comp)

Documentation extends to your communication with your employer.

• Get the Offer in Writing: Demand that the light-duty job offer be provided in writing, including the job title, a list of duties, the hours, and the rate of pay.
• Create a Paper Trail: If a supervisor asks you to violate your restrictions, do not get into a verbal argument. Follow up with a polite, professional email or text: "To confirm our conversation, you asked me to lift a 25-pound box. My doctor's note, which I have provided, restricts me to lifting no more than 10 pounds. Please confirm how you would like me to proceed."
• Keep a Journal: Every day, write down the hours you worked, the tasks you actually performed, and any pain you experienced. This log can be invaluable evidence in a dispute.

Returning to light-duty work should be a step toward recovery, not a new battle. But if your employer is pressuring you, ignoring your doctor's orders, or your benefits have been cut off unfairly, you should not have to fight the insurance company alone.

Need Legal Help? Brandon J. Broderick, Attorney at Law, is One Phone Call Away

The light-duty phase of a workers' compensation claim is a minefield. An experienced workers' compensation attorney can be your most important advocate, protecting you from employer pressure and ensuring the insurance carrier pays the benefits you are owed.

At Brandon J. Broderick, Attorney at Law, we have helped countless injured workers navigate these exact challenges. We know the tactics employers use and how to fight back. If you are facing a dispute over a light-duty job, being forced to work in pain, or have had your benefits cut, contact us today for a free consultation. We will review your case, explain your rights, and build a strategy to protect your health and your financial stability.