Getting back
Returning to work & reduced-earnings benefits in NY
Going back to work — even part-time or light duty — usually doesn't end your benefits. If you earn less because of your injury, New York pays a portion of the difference.
- If you return at lower pay, reduced-earnings benefits pay about two-thirds of the difference between your old and new wages.
- Light-duty / transitional work is common and encouraged; your treating doctor sets your work restrictions.
- Refusing suitable light-duty work your doctor approved can reduce or suspend your benefits.
- A Schedule Loss of Use award is paid regardless of whether you returned to work.
How reduced-earnings benefits work
Say you earned $1,200 a week before your injury and can now only manage light-duty work paying $600. The $600 gap is your wage loss; you'd receive roughly two-thirds of it — about $400 a week — on top of your reduced paycheck, subject to the state maximum. You must report your earnings; concealing work is fraud.
Can you be forced back to work?
Not beyond what your doctor allows. Work capacity is a medical question — if your treating provider says you can do light duty and your employer offers work within those limits, turning it down without good reason can cost you benefits. If the offered work exceeds your restrictions, document it and raise it with the Board.