A safer path back to work—without sacrificing benefits or your recovery
When a job-related injury knocks you off course, two priorities compete: healing fully and keeping your household steady. New Jersey’s workers’ compensation system allows employers to offer light-duty or modified work while you recover. Done right, it’s a bridge back to earning and stability. Done wrong, it can be a pressure tactic—undercutting benefits, ignoring restrictions, or setting you up to fail.
At Shebell & Shebell, LLC, we treat every case like the most important one we’ve ever handled. That means we tell the truth about your restrictions, insist on safe work, and intervene fast if the plan is more about cutting costs than helping you heal.
What counts as “light-duty” work in New Jersey?
Light duty is temporary work within the written restrictions set by your authorized workers’ comp physician. Restrictions commonly include:
- Lifting and carrying limits (e.g., no lifting over 10–20 lbs.)
- Postural/positional limits (no ladders, limited overhead reach, sit/stand intervals)
- Bracing, assistive devices, or one-handed duty
- Hours limits or no overtime
Employers can modify tasks, schedules, or work locations to meet these limits. The litmus test is simple: does the job match the doctor’s note in the real world?
Your rights during a light-duty assignment
- Safety first. You cannot be required to perform tasks that violate documented medical restrictions.
- No wage free-fall. If modified pay is lower than your usual wages, you may qualify for partial wage benefits to close the gap.
- No pressure to “prove it.” You are not required to “try” obviously non-compliant tasks.
- If no suitable work exists, you generally remain eligible for Temporary Total Disability (TTD) while receiving authorized care.
How light duty affects TTD (Temporary Total Disability)
TTD pays 70% of your Average Weekly Wage (AWW) (within state caps) while you’re unable to work and getting authorized treatment. If your doctor clears you for partial capacity and the employer offers a legitimate light-duty job, TTD can pause. But the law does not allow an income cliff. When pay drops due to restrictions, partial wage benefits may apply to fill the gap. We check the math.
Our approach to the math: We audit AWW using pay stubs, schedules, and HR data—including regular overtime and differentials. Quietly excluding them can cut hundreds per week.
A practical return-to-work checklist (what we do for you)
- Get clear, written restrictions from the authorized physician.
- Demand a written job description for light duty—tasks, hours, location, and duration.
- Match duties to restrictions line by line; flag conflicts immediately.
- Confirm pay rate and whether differentials/OT apply.
- Create a feedback loop with your doctor to report flare-ups or conflicts.
- Document everything: who assigned the task, what was said, and how restrictions were addressed.
When light duty is misused—and how we stop it
Some employers weaponize light duty by:
- Restriction creep: tasks gradually exceed what the doctor allowed.
- “All or nothing” scheduling: forced OT or rotating shifts that ignore limits.
- Pay manipulation: reclassifying roles to reduce pay and dodge partial benefits.
- Hostile assignments: work designed to provoke refusal.
We respond with formal notice to the adjuster and employer, physician updates, and—if needed—motions to restore TTD, correct wages, and address retaliation.
Your job in a safe return
Bring your restriction note to every shift. If told to do something unsafe, calmly explain the restriction and ask for an alternative. Then write down the interaction. Report increased pain or new symptoms promptly to both the employer and the doctor.
Light duty doesn’t replace medical care
Therapy, diagnostics, and specialist referrals must continue. If scheduling conflicts or work hours are used to block care, we escalate. If a task causes a setback, we get updated restrictions and adjust the plan.
If there’s no compliant light-duty job
When the employer can’t offer suitable work, you typically remain on TTD while receiving authorized care. If checks stop anyway, we file to restore benefits and recover arrears. If the employer claims a compliant job exists but can’t produce a clear, matching description, we treat that as no real offer.
From transitional duty to permanency
If you reach Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) with ongoing limitations, we evaluate Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) or Permanent Total Disability (PTD). We coordinate treating records, independent medical experts, and, when needed, vocational evidence. If prior conditions and your new injury combine to prevent any gainful work, we assess eligibility for the Second Injury Fund.
Compassion + accountability
Light duty should be a bridge for people, not a loophole for insurers. Our promise is simple: listen first, tell the truth about your limits, and stand up for you when the plan isn’t fair.
FAQs: Light-Duty & Return-to-Work in NJ
Do I have to accept light duty?
If it matches your written restrictions and pay is handled correctly, refusing can affect benefits. If it’s unsafe or non-compliant, we address it immediately.
What if my supervisor pressures me to exceed limits?
Say no respectfully, cite the restriction, and document. We’ll engage the adjuster/employer and update the physician as needed.
Can my employer cut hours to reduce benefits?
Not to game the system. If your earnings fall, you may be entitled to partial wage benefits; we audit and correct.
My checks stopped once light duty started—now what?
If pay is below your pre-injury level or the job isn’t real, we seek partial benefits or restoration of TTD.
Light duty made my condition worse—what now?
We get updated restrictions, pursue appropriate care (including new specialists), and adjust wage benefits accordingly.
