No, that is a decision made by your doctor. You will be allowed to return to work when your doctor provides you a release to do so. Often, doctors release the employee to return to work before treatment ends, but with restrictions. Once you have provided the release to the employer, it then becomes the employer’s decision as to whether you can return to work.
My employer stated that I’m not actually an employee but an independent contractor. Do I still qualify for workers’ compensation?
With the growing popularity of rideshare services such as Lyft and Uber, in which the drivers who drive for the company are classified as independent contractors, there is increasing attention being given to the misclassification of workers here in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. In addition to depriving workers of their right to obtain benefits through the workers’ compensation program, misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor also interferes with a worker’s ability to obtain other benefits, such as unemployment insurance, health insurance, retirement benefits, and paid vacations.
If you feel that you were wrongly classified as an independent contractor instead of an employee, speak with an attorney right away. You can also file a worker misclassification survey on this page or call 1-866-403-6163 (option 3), weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We encourage you, however, to speak with an attorney first. We can help you determine if you need to file that paperwork and if so we can help you do it.