how long can you be on workers comp light duty
how long can you be on workers comp light duty? There is no national week cap on the cited sources. Stay on restricted duty until the note's through-date, a new exam, or a full-duty release. Texas states that Temporary Income Benefits can run 104 weeks after the eighth disability day. That is a pay clock, not a required seat.
Last updated: August 25, 2026
Clocks that are listed, and clocks that are not
| Clock | What is listed | What it does not mean |
|---|---|---|
| Note through-date | Restrictions expected to last through a stated day on DWC Form-073 | A permanent job title |
| Texas TIBs period | 104 weeks after your eighth day of work-related disability | A duty to sit in light duty for 104 weeks |
| Illinois TTD if no match | Released to light-duty work but employer unable to accommodate | A published Illinois week maximum |
| California offer window | suitable regular, modified or alternative work within 60 days | A national light-duty duration |
Cites: TDI Temporary Income Benefits, DWC Form-073 PDF, IWCC handbook, DIR supplemental job displacement.
Related: can I return to work with restrictions after injury.
| Claim | URL | Listed |
|---|---|---|
| Texas TIBs duration cap | tdi.texas.gov/wc/employee/tempben.html | 104 weeks after your eighth day of work-related disability |
| Illinois TTD continues if light duty is unavailable | iwcc.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/iwcc/documents/handbook/IWCC%20handbook%2006.06.24.pdf | released to do light-duty work but whose employer is unable to accommodate |
| California PTP must report return to modified or regular work | dir.ca.gov/t8/9785.html | return to modified or regular work |
| California 2013+ SJDB trigger if no suitable work offer | dir.ca.gov/dwc/SJDB.htm | suitable regular, modified or alternative |
Frequently Asked Questions
how long can you be on workers comp light duty under a national week cap?
There is no national week cap listed on the sources. Duration follows the through-date on the current work-status note and the next exam. Texas DWC Form-073 restricted-duty boxes list an expected-to-last-through date. When that date arrives, the doctor either extends the limits, moves the worker to full duty, or takes the worker off work again.
Does Texas cap the income benefits that sit next to light duty?
TDI states that the TIBs period ends 104 weeks after your eighth day of work-related disability, or earlier at maximum medical improvement, or when you again earn the pre-injury average weekly wage. That is an income-benefit clock, not a command to stay in a light-duty seat for 104 weeks. A new work-status note can end restricted duty sooner.
What if light duty lasts until the employer still has no match?
The IWCC handbook states that TTD continues when the employee is released to do light-duty work but the employer is unable to accommodate. Time on paper restrictions is not the same as time in a chair. If the note still lists limits and no task fits, the wage-loss file can remain open under that state's rules.
When does California change the duration question?
Once the primary treating physician reports return to modified or regular work, the job-match clock starts. For injuries on or after January 1, 2013, DIR lists a 60-day window to offer suitable regular, modified or alternative work after the claims administrator receives the report. Missing that offer can open a supplemental job displacement voucher, not an endless light-duty tour.