If you were hurt on the job in California, you are entitled to financial benefits. The primary purpose of workers’ comp is to ensure that an employee has access to the financial resources that they need to get past the accident and move forward. In some circumstances, an injured worker may be entitled to Supplemental job displacement benefits for job retraining/education. Here, our Fresno work injury lawyer provides an overview of Supplemental Job Displacement Benefits in California.
Your Core Workers’ Compensation Benefits
As a starting point, it is important to understand the core workers’ comp benefits that you can claim after a job-related accident in California. You may be entitled to seek financial benefits for:
- Medical Coverage: California workers’ comp insurance covers all medical treatment that is “reasonably necessary” for a job-related injury or occupational disease.
- Temporary Disability: If you are forced to miss time on the job, you can claim temporary disability benefits.
Additional workers’ comp benefits may be available when an employee suffers severe medical complications. An injured worker can claim permanent disability benefits if their injury does not heal completely. Further, surviving families can claim death benefits after a fatal workplace accident.
Supplemental Job Displacement Benefits are Non-Transferrable Vouchers
In some circumstances, an injured worker may be able to return to the work—but only in a lighter duty position. California’s workers’ compensation insurance system offers supplemental job displacement benefits (SJDB) to help people transition back to the workforce after a serious accident.As noted by the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), SJDB comes in the form of a “non-transferable voucher.” An injured worker can use these vouchers to cover:
- Educational job-retraining; and/or
- Skill enhancement services.
You can use these vouchers at a state-accredited school or in a state-approved job training program. A worker who qualifies for SJDB should receive the proper forms from the workers’ comp claims administrator. If you believe that you should be issued an SJDB voucher but you did not receive one, you have the right to appeal the decision.
Additional Benefits: Return to Work Supplement Program
As of January 1st, 2013, California has an additional benefit known as the Return-to-Work Supplement Program. An injured worker who has received an SJDB voucher may be entitled to a one-time additional return to work benefit payment of $5,000. In effect, this benefit is designed to help workers supplement earnings that they lost as a consequence of their injury/illness. To be clear, the supplemental return-to-work benefit is payment instead of a voucher.
Speak to a Fresno, CA Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today
Joseph C. Yrulegui is an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer with a passion for serving clients. If you have any questions or concerns about Supplemental Job Displacement Benefits, we are more than happy to help. Get in touch with us by phone or send us a message directly online for a free, no obligation review of your case. We fight for the rights of injured workers throughout Fresno County, including in Fresno, Clovis, Sanger, Gordon, Fowler, Del Rey, and Easton.