If you are home recovering from a workplace injury and get laid off, you may have the right to receive additional benefits. The workers’ compensation program in Minnesota aims to help injured workers return to work.
Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits
Minnesota law allows injured workers to request and receive vocational rehabilitation benefits if they were hurt at work. Vocational rehabilitation involves working with a qualified rehabilitation consultant (QRC) to return to work or find a new job. You may receive:
- Assistance finding work with a different employer
- Job coaching
- Help modifying job duties to fit abilities
- Help coordinating with your doctor and the insurance company
- Training or education to help you find a new job
The QRC will set up a rehabilitation plan to help you meet your goals. When you are laid off, it may happen because of a slowdown in your industry. If you have trouble finding a new job with your skills and in your industry, the QRC can help you expand your search or even retrain for a new job in some cases.
Was the Lay-Off Retaliatory?
Unfortunately, not all workers get laid off because of an industry slowdown or company financial problems. If you filed a workers’ compensation claim and were laid off soon afterward, your employer may be retaliating against you. Many employers find that workers on leave cost them money without any benefit in the workplace, and they decide to terminate the workers without regard for the law. In Minnesota, it is against the law to terminate someone’s employment just because he or she filed for workers’ compensation.
Workers who are laid off from their jobs while on leave to recover from workplace injuries may want legal help to pursue their claims effectively. Talk to a workers’ compensation lawyer today for advice.
Need help getting workers’ compensation for your injury? Joe Osterbauer, Esq. and the Osterbauer Law Firm stand up for injured Minnesota workers’ rights. Joe’s 27 years of workers’ compensation experience and his team’s speedy service combine to get clients the results they need. To schedule a free consultation, visit Osterbauer Law Firm online or call Joe’s office at (612) 334-3434.
