If you sustain injuries at work or while engaging in work-related activities off the clock, you may be entitled to financial restitution via workers’ compensation benefits. One of the questions you might have while pursuing or receiving workers’ comp is whether you can leave your current job and still receive the benefits to which you would be otherwise entitled.
Before you submit that resignation letter, you’ll need to take a couple of factors into account. Whereas a resignation will not impact your workers’ comp claim, it is important to understand that it might affect other perks.
What resignation means for your benefits
A significant feature of workers’ compensation is the disability benefits you may be entitled to following your injuries. These benefits are meant to make up for a portion of your lost wages while you are unable to return to work.
In Pennsylvania, workers’ compensation will pay two-thirds of your weekly income in disability benefits with a capped maximum benefit of $1,273.00. However, it is important to understand that wage replacement benefits depend on the nature of your injury. Subject to the nature of your injuries, you may be entitled to the following:
- Temporary Total Disability (TTD)
- Temporary Partial Disability (TPD)
- Permanent Partial Disability (PPD)
- Permanent Total Disability (PTD)
Since temporary disability benefits are intended to end when you resume work, this is where leaving your job can complicate matters. In quitting your job, your former employer may argue that they no longer owe you disability benefits based on grounds that they could easily accommodate your current limitations had you stayed.
Protecting your rights
The Pennsylvania workers’ compensation system can be quite complex and leaving your position before your case is fully resolved can make matters even more complicated. Learning more about Pennsylvania workers’ compensation laws with the assistance of a legal professional can help you safeguard your rights and interests while pursuing any benefits you are entitled to.