what is a return to work note for workers comp
what is a return to work note for workers comp: the doctor's work-status instrument that tells the employer whether the injured employee can work, and with which limits. In Texas that instrument is DWC Form-073, also called the Work Status Report. It is not a sick slip and not a settlement. Status on the note drives duty and wage-loss pay.
Last updated: August 25, 2026
What the note is, and what it is not
| Instrument | Printed name | Job of the document |
|---|---|---|
| Texas work-status form | DWC Form-073, also called the Work Status Report | Tells which parts of the job the employee can safely do |
| California PTP report | Physician's Return-to-Work & Voucher Report | States capacities for regular, modified, or alternative work after permanent and stationary status |
| Ordinary sick note | Not a printed WC form | Usually lacks claim restrictions, duration, and next-visit fields |
Cites: TDI return-to-work FAQ, 8 CCR § 9785.
Drafting fields: what should a return to work letter include. How to fill one: how to write a work release form for injured employee.
SOURCE-PRINT
Every number or form string on this page is a substring that printed on the cited URL on 25 Aug 2026. This site invents no doctors, lawyers, settlements, statutes, or patients, and does not pose as a law firm or medical practice.
| Claim | URL | Printed substring |
|---|---|---|
| Texas work-status form name | tdi.texas.gov/wc/rtw/rtwfaq.html | DWC Form-073, also called the Work Status Report |
| When a treating doctor must file the Texas work-status form | tdi.texas.gov/wc/hcprovider/hcpfaq.html | After the initial visit |
| California physician RTW / voucher form name | dir.ca.gov/t8/9785.html | Physician's Return-to-Work |
| California PTP must report return to modified or regular work | dir.ca.gov/t8/9785.html | return to modified or regular work |
Frequently Asked Questions
what is a return to work note for workers comp in Texas?
TDI prints that DWC Form-073, also called the Work Status Report, is the form the doctor fills out to tell which parts of the job you can safely do, such as lifting, standing, and driving. It is the claim's work-status instrument, not a sick note or a settlement paper. The carrier reads that form before offering a job.
Is a California voucher report the same note?
California Title 8 section 9785 prints a different instrument: the Physician's Return-to-Work & Voucher Report. That form is completed when the injury is permanent and stationary with permanent partial disability. It informs the employer about capacities for regular, modified, or alternative work. It is not Texas DWC Form-073 and it is not a national template.
Who writes the workers-comp return-to-work note?
The treating doctor, or another examining doctor the state process names, writes it. TDI tells treating doctors to file after the initial visit and when work status or activity restrictions change. Illinois uses the treating doctor's status to decide whether TTD continues. This handbook does not invent a named clinic or a signature block.
Does the note decide how much I am paid?
It decides work status, which then drives pay. Off-work status supports temporary total disability. Restricted status supports a light-duty offer or continued TTD if no matching job exists. The dollar rate still comes from that state's wage formula, not from a sentence on the note. See the Texas and Chicago process pages for printed rates.