Alexandria, VA asked in Employment Law, Personal Injury and Workers' Compensation for Maryland

Q: After a work-related injury, can my employer wildly change my scheduled hours of work

Normally, I work 3am-1pm as a delivery driver. Recently, I injured my back and was placed on light duty temporarily while it is rested. (Just a strain dr says) in my place of employment, injured workers are often made fun of and taunted for being injured and treated by management as if every claim is fraudulent. In an effort to combat the perceived fraudulent claims, they have mandated that I will work 12pm-8pm essentially doing nothing in the office, nothing meaningful or beneficial to the company. This feels like a punishment, and un-doable as I am a single father and sole guardian of young children. I also recently won an arbitration Against the company w/union representation, so this obviously additionally feels like retaliation.

1 Lawyer Answer

A: Sorry to hear of your injury. An employer is required to honor your work restrictions, and if not, you would be entitled to workers' compensation wage benefits. It would be hard to characterize your employer honoring your work restrictions and providing work within those restrictions as "retaliation", but there may be more going on here. You should consult with the attorney of your choosing in a confidential setting.

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