Will Workers’ Compensation Pay for Job Training if I Have to Change Careers?

 Posted on January 27, 2025 in Types of Benefits

It is very common for blue-collar workers with physically demanding jobs to suffer injuries that will not allow them to go back to the jobs they had before, but would allow them to work in a different career. However, tradesmen often have very specific job skills that do not easily translate to another line of work. If your injuries will not allow you to go back to your old job, but you are interested in going to college or learning new job skills so that you can keep working in a different industry, you might be eligible for the Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit (SJDB). Your Gilroy, CA workers’ compensation attorney can help you pursue this benefit if you qualify.

Workers With Permanent Partial Disabilities May Qualify for Job Displacement Benefits  

To qualify for the SJDB, you need to have a permanent partial disability. A permanent partial disability means that your injury will have a permanent effect on your abilities, but that you can still perform some work. Most people with permanent work-related injuries meet this criteria, as injuries that cause total disability are fairly rare. If you would be able to keep working if you had a white-collar desk job instead of your more physically demanding job, you probably have a partial disability.

You Must Be Displaced From Your Job to Use The SJBD

You are not considered "displaced from your job" if your employer offers you suitable alternate work and you decline. Suitable alternate work is work that you could perform with reasonable accommodations and pays at least 85% of what you were earning before your injury.

How Can The Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit Help Me Return to Work? 

The SJDB could help you cover the costs of the college education or job training you would need to succeed in a different career. You could use the benefit to get a degree at a public university or get job training from any institution listed on the Eligible Training Provider List. Using this benefit can enable you to return to work with the best possible chances of finding comparable or better employment. Californians who take advantage of the SJBD often earn more and find satisfaction in a second career when they return to work with a degree or specialized training.

Contact a Gilroy, CA Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

Cramer + Martinez will fight to help you gain access to this important benefit for workers with permanent partial disabilities. Our experienced Santa Clara County, CA workers’ compensation attorneys have served workers in the local area for over 25 years. Contact us at 408-848-1113 for a complimentary consultation.