Job Reentry

		For many people, the longer they have to stay out of work, the more difficult it is to make a successful reentry.
		Try to return to your duties at home as soon as you can, even if it is just a little at a time. This effort will be rewarded by increasing your confidence in your recovery and give you the strength to get back to work when the doctors say you are ready.
		Use pain management plans and rehabilitation counselors to help speed your recovery if necessary. Your medical plan can often help set these up if you request it. It is in everyone's interest to see that you recover as fully as possible.
		Most states have a disability agency that helps individuals who were self-employed or without a job when they were injured. This agency can help with rehabilitation programs and sometimes assist with the costs of rehabilitation.

		If you are permanently disabled, get your doctor's written certification of your condition and the extent of your limitations. Also the doctor should note any workplace modifications that could assist you in returning to the workplace. This report can then be used with future employers to show your employability and what reasonable accommodations you may need. There are a large number of aids available now to help the disabled perform their career work.
		Your accident attorney should be able to explain the benefits of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This law gives a disabled person the right to obtain a job without being subject to discrimination. This is a very technical law, but at the minimum an employer cannot ask you about any disabilities you may have in an interview, but only after a job has been offered to you. At that time the employer must try to reasonably accommodate your limitations. Your attorney should be able to help with this also. For additional information, click disability discrimination here.
		Another helpful law for this type of family difficulty is the federal Family Medical Leave Act. This law can provide up to three months leave for care of yourself or a family member with a serious health condition. The employer cannot terminate a worker during this leave, and must provide the same or an equivalent job upon your return.