How long should modified duty last?
In general, modified duty shouldn’t last more than 30 days but can be renewable for another 30 days if medical circumstances warrant. When a medical condition requires that a worker be on modified duty for more than 60 days, you may need to retrain the worker and move them into another type of job. Regardless, you should determine the acceptable timeframe in conjunction with your claims adjuster and build it into your modified-duty policy.

Modified duty should allow the injured employee to progress toward their regular duties as they recover. If medical restrictions can’t be lifted, you may need to explore a more permanent solution.

Core material provided by LynchRyan, a management consulting firm specializing in workers' compensation cost controls.