Texas Department of Insurance

Return to Work / Stay at Work

El Regreso al Trabajo en español

The timely return of injured employees to productive roles in the Texas workforce is one of the key components of Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation's (TDI-DWC's) mission.  Return to work is a responsibility shared by employers, employees, health care providers, insurance carriers and TDI-DWC.

The longer an employee is away from work after an injury, the harder it is for him or her to get back to work at all; and the longer an employee is away from work, the higher are the employer’s workers’ compensation costs and related business costs.

The following information is provided to help employers, injured employees and health care providers appreciate the benefits of return to work and to guide them in fulfilling their respective roles.  The employer resources assist employers to create and implement effective return to work procedures--a key element in returning injured employees to productive work.

Return to Work Pilot Program for Small Employers

• Report: Implementation of the  Return-to-Work Pilot Program for Small Employers in Texas
• Division Adopts Rules for Return to Work Pilot Program for Small Employers (PDF)
• Return to Work Pilot Program for Small Employers (PDF)
• DWC008 - Application for Reimbursement from the Return-to-Work Account for Small Employers (PDF, Word)
  
  

Return to Work Resources

Injured Employee Resources

Employer Resources

• Registry of Private Providers of Vocational Rehabilitation Services
• Return to Work Success Stories (PDF)
• Return to Work Poster - English and Spanish (PDF)
• Effective Return to Work Practices for Employers
• Making Return to Work - Work:  For Your Business and Your Employees (PDF)
• DWC001 - Employer's First Report of Injury or Illness (PDF)
• DWC Form-073 - Work Status Report (PDF)
• To schedule a Return to Work Educational Presentation, contact Pat Crawford at pat.crawford@tdi.state.tx.us.
• Workplace Safety - Division workplace safety resources

Health Care Provider Resources

• DWC Form-073 - Work Status Report (PDF)
• CARF Table - CARF Accredited Work Conditioning and Work Hardening Programs Exempted from Preauthorization and Concurrent Review
• CARF Q & A's - Work Conditioning & Work Hardening, ODG and Preauthorization (PDF)
• Disability Management 
  
  

Return to Work Forms

• DWC001 - Employer's First Report of Injury or Illness
• DWC008 - Application for Reimbursement from the Return-to-Work Account for Small Employers (PDF, Word)
• DWC Form-073 - Work Status Report
• DWC Form-074, Description of Injured Employee’s Employment
  
  

Joint Report to the Legislature

New Approaches to Providing Vocational Rehabilitation Services to Injured Employees in the Texas Workers’ Compensation System (PDF)

For more information contact: