The overwhelming majority or our clients return to work. Fortunately, a fairly small number are so severely injured that they’re never able to return to work.
It is fairly unlikely that your company is going to blackball you after you’re gone. Most companies understand the legal risk they take in doing that and many have a policy that they will confirm your dates of employment and rate of pay but nothing beyond that. Admittedly, smaller companies may be more likely to take a chance by saying something negative but it’s unlikely.
The one word of caution we need to put out is that under the new laws if you misstate your physical condition and you reinjure yourself the new employer could be off the hook for workers’ compensation. Don’t be alarmed – you do not have to turn over your medical records and stuff like that. But if you’ve just had a fusion on your back and the prospective employer tells you how physically demanding the job is and asks if you have any back problems… well, this is a lousy time to lie and say you are just fine. Forget the worker’s compensation implications for a minute. Do you really want to reinjure yourself and go through all of this again? We didn’t think so.
Use your common sense. You don’t have to advertise your limitations, but don’t put yourself in a position where you cannot safely do the job. For your own sake.
