Despite your best efforts to stay safe while at work, there is always a possibility that you might sustain catastrophic injuries. Suppose you sustain an injury at work; your first instinct may be to try and get back to work as soon as you can. It turns out that this might not be the best approach.
If you’re a hard worker, the monotony of taking time to rest can be exhausting, but this is (likely) exactly what you should do. Resuming work when you’re still experiencing significant physical pain can compromise your health and eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits as your situation evolves.
Prioritize your recovery
When you see a doctor in the aftermath of your workplace injury, they will likely recommend how much recovery time you need. Adhering to their guidance allows your body to heal completely and return to pre-injury conditions.
However, when you rush back to work, you can set your recovery back because your body didn’t get enough time to reset. The pressure of working while you’re not fully healed can actually prolong your pain or even cause permanent damage.
You should also remember that recovering from your injury isn’t just about physical healing. If your workplace injury was catastrophic, it may have impacted your mental health. You might still be shocked by how quickly you went from being fine to being severely injured. Returning to the environment where you got injured too soon can trigger psychological reactions. Taking the necessary time to recuperate can allow your brain to make sense of what happened and move past it.
Protect your workers’ compensation benefits
When you got injured, you probably qualified for your employer’s financial safety net. This compensation is supposed to help you cover some of the medical expenses you may need to incur. Suppose your injury was severe; you may have also qualified for wage replacement benefits.
These benefits are contingent on your commitment to recovery. Any actions you make that jeopardize your recovery may cut short your workers’ compensation payments. If you resume work before you’re fully recovered, your employer and their insurance provider will interpret that as you no longer needing financial support.
You’re not doing yourself any favors by rushing your recovery. It is best to take all the time you need to recover, partially so that you can receive the financial support you’re owed during this time. It’s also wise to learn as much as you can about your legal rights and options so that you can make the most of your recovery period.
