According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2.6 million nonfatal workplace injuries were reported in 2023. Navigating the aftermath of a workplace injury can be challenging for both employees and employers. The good news? Implementing an effective return-to-work (RTW) program that includes light-duty assignments can be an effective way to support recovery while keeping the business running smoothly.

Read on to learn what light-duty work is and how it benefits workers and employers.

What is light-duty work?

Light-duty is a temporary work arrangement that modifies an employee’s job duties to accommodate physical limitations due to injury or medical condition. This may involve changes to tasks, hours, location, or equipment use, allowing employees to return to their regular duties gradually. Hours and/or pay rates can be changed to help accommodate light-duty jobs.

For example, say an injured employee is injured on the job and cannot perform their regular duties.  The treating physician may release the employee to return to work on light-duty with specific work restrictions.  This may include lifting restrictions, the need to sit or stand as needed, bending/stooping restrictions, climbing restrictions, etc.  The claims adjuster will contact the employer and ask if they have light-duty work that matches the medical restrictions.  Bringing the employee back to work reduces the number of lost workdays and will help the employee transition back to their regular job faster.

The goal: to help transition injured employees back to their regular job duties quickly and safely.

Examples of light-duty work

The type of light-duty work a company provides its employees depends on two key areas:

  • An employee’s medical restrictions
  • A business’s specific needs

Here are three examples of light-duty assignments often found in the workplace:

  1. Administration/office work: These modified duty tasks are best suited for injured workers who are organized and good at multitasking.
    • Tasks may include answering phones, data entry, filing records, and/or handling mail
  2. Equipment inspections: These are for employees who don’t enjoy working at a desk but excel at hands-on tasks.
    • Tasks may include safety checks, gear inspections, and proactive maintenance of equipment
  3. Maintenance: These light-duty tasks can help recovering employees while improving working conditions and safety practices for everyone.
    • Tasks may include site maintenance, minor repair work, and hazard identification

Benefits of light-duty work assignments

Now, on to the best part: the benefits of light-duty. (Yes! They positively affect both employees and employers.)

Employee benefits

  • Increased engagement, which leads to increased retention, quality, safety + productivity
  • More opportunities for cross-training + sharing institutional knowledge

An especially important thing to note is that employees who are allowed to return to work at light-duty capacity have consistently shown to recover faster than those who are not. In fact, a 2010 study conducted by the Rand Corporation showed that employees participating in a return to work program returned to full duties an average of 3-4 weeks faster than those who did not.

Employer benefits

• Reduced costs associated with injury claims, recruitment, dropped productivity, and increased morale

Important tips for employers

Every person involved in an injury claim has a specific role in determining which light-duty positions should be assigned.

Some ways to ensure this happens include:

  • Open communication between management, the injured employee’s supervisor and the employee regarding specific work restrictions and expectations
  • Working directly with claims adjusters to best transition injured workers back to a full-time schedule safely and efficiently

For more information, contact us today!