If you suffer an injury at work that makes it so you cannot go back to the job you held before, workers’ compensation can help you to obtain other employment. The injury was not your fault, so the system will try to avoid punishing you for the result of it by offering you certain helpful benefits.
While you may not be able to go back to your previous job, your doctor may determine you can work in another field. If this happens, you may be able to get supplemental job displacement benefits, which the Department of Industrial Relations explains is a voucher program that pays for education or training to help you secure a new job.
About the benefits
Supplemental job displacement benefits will pay for tuition, fees, books and other expenses at an eligible school. You can also use it to pay for costs associated with obtaining certification or a professional license.
The program allows for you to use up to $600 for career counseling or placement services and other employment-related services, such as resume preparation. You can use up to $500 for any expenses you would like without any restrictions, and up to $1,000 is available to use to buy a computer.
The total amount of the benefit is $6,000 maximum.
Application requirements
To get the supplemental job displacement benefit, you do not have to do anything. Your claims administrator must offer it to you if you qualify. To qualify, you need to not have an alternative form of work offered through your current employer, and you must have a permanent partial disability within the definitions set by workers’ compensation.
If you qualify, your claims administrator will submit the proper forms for you upon your request.