California · Workers' Compensation
Do You Still Get Workers' Comp on Light Duty in California?
Hurt at work? Workers' comp pays for medical care and part of your lost pay while you heal. A free call tells you where you stand.
Eman Yazdchi, Esq., Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law, California Board of Legal Specialization, State Bar of California.
California Board of Legal Specialization, State Bar of California
California Board of Legal Specialization, State Bar of California
- 14+
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- 2,000+
- Cases handled over 14+ years
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Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict future cases. Each case is different and results depend on specific facts and circumstances.
Prepared by Yazdchi Law
Content updated:
Yes, in many cases. If your employer puts you on light duty at lower pay, workers' comp can make up part of the difference. If your employer has no work that fits your doctor's restrictions, your temporary disability checks should continue. What you should not do is take on work your doctor has said you cannot do.
How your checks change on light duty
| Your situation | What workers' comp pays |
|---|---|
| Off work completely | Temporary total disability: two-thirds of your average weekly pay |
| Light duty at your full pay | No disability check, because you have no wage loss |
| Light duty at lower pay or fewer hours | Temporary partial disability: two-thirds of the pay you are losing |
| No light duty available within your restrictions | Temporary total disability continues |
Here is how partial disability works. Say you earned $900 a week before the injury and light duty pays $600. You are losing $300 a week. Workers' comp pays two-thirds of that, or $200 a week, so you take home about $800 in total (Labor Code 4654 and 4657).
When the job goes past your restrictions
Your doctor's work restrictions set the limits, not your supervisor. If a light-duty job asks you to lift, stand, or do anything beyond them:
- Ask for the job offer and its duties in writing.
- Keep a copy of your doctor's latest work status report.
- Tell your supervisor in writing which duties go past your restrictions.
- Tell your doctor about the job at your next visit.
If your employer offers work that truly fits your restrictions and you turn it down, the insurer may try to stop or reduce your checks. Talk to a lawyer before refusing an offer.
Your job protections
- No retaliation for your claim. Your employer cannot fire, demote or punish you because you filed a workers' comp claim. If it does, you may be owed extra compensation of up to $10,000, plus lost wages and your job back (Labor Code 132a).
- Accommodation under FEHA. Employers with five or more employees must talk with you in good faith about reasonable accommodations for your restrictions and must not skip that conversation (Government Code 12940, subdivisions (m) and (n)).
After you finish healing: the job offer that matters most
Once your doctor says your condition has stopped improving, your employer has 60 days after receiving the doctor's final report to offer you regular, modified or alternative work that you can do for at least 12 months (Labor Code 4658.7). Modified or alternative work must pay at least 85% of what you earned before, and it must be within a reasonable commute (Labor Code 4658.1).
- If you get a qualifying offer, the state's guide for injured workers says you generally have 30 days to accept it.
- If no qualifying offer comes, you receive a Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit voucher worth up to $6,000 for retraining or school, and you may qualify for the one-time $5,000 Return-to-Work Supplement.
Some older articles say a job offer lowers your permanent disability pay by 15%, or that no offer raises it by 15%. That rule ended for injuries on or after January 1, 2013. The voucher and the supplement replaced it.
Results in cases like this
Every case is different. Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict a similar outcome.
$5,000,000
Catastrophic spinal cord injury
$1,500,000
Cervical spine injury
$425,000
Slip and fall accident
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Most claims must be filed within one year under Labor Code section 5405. A free call tells you where your clock stands.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to accept light duty?
What if light duty pays less than my old job?
What if my employer has no light duty?
Can my employer fire me while I am on light duty?
Does light duty affect my permanent disability rating?
Reviewed by Eman Yazdchi, Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law, The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. Updated October 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice about your case.
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