Qualifying for the Supplemental Job Displacement Benefits Voucher
California law requires employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance to provide for the medical care and lost wages of employees who get hurt on the job. Not all employees are able to return to their former job after a workplace injury, however. If you suffered a workplace injury that leaves you unable to do your current job, but you are not fully disabled, what are your options? Read on to learn about supplemental job displacement benefits in California. If you’ve suffered a workplace injury in Southern California, reach out to a seasoned Riverside workers’ compensation lawyer at Ochoa & Calderon for assistance.
What is the Supplemental Job Displacement Benefits Voucher?
A supplemental job displacement benefit (SJDB) is a voucher that an injured worker may use to pay for education, retraining, skill enhancement, and other tools necessary to qualify for a new job. The benefits are meant to help workers who suffer a workplace injury that renders them permanently unable to perform their current job but who would be able to do another job if they had the requisite training and education.
How Much is the Supplemental Job Displacement Benefits Voucher Worth?
SJDB vouchers can be used to pay for tuition, fees, books, tools, other expenses required by qualifying schools for retraining or skill enhancement, as well as for licensing and professional certification fees, examination fees, and examination preparation course fees. The voucher is worth up to $6,000, regardless of the applicant’s permanent disability rating. That $6,000 may be used as follows:
- Up to $600 of the voucher may be used to pay for resume preparation, vocational counseling, or to pay for the services of a licensed placement agency
- Up to $1,000 may be used to purchase computer equipment
- Up to $500 of the voucher may be used by request to pay for other miscellaneous expenses, without receipts or other documentation
The remaining funds will be used to pay for tuition, fees, and other professional and educational expenses. An injured worker can obtain an SJDB voucher for each separate injury.
How do You Qualify for a Supplemental Job Displacement Benefits Voucher?
A worker injured on the job in California will qualify for an SJDB when both of the following apply:
- The worker suffered a permanent partial disability;
- The worker’s employer does not have permanent work for the injured worker as a result of the permanent partial disability. Specifically, the employer does not offer the worker regular, modified, or alternative work within 60 days after the worker applies for the benefits and submits a physician report.
If you were hurt on the job and your current employer has no position available for you or does not offer you another permanent position, then you are entitled to an SJBD voucher. Your California workers’ compensation and workplace injury attorney can help ensure that you get the maximum benefits available to you.
For help getting benefits after an on-the-job injury or workplace illness, call Ochoa & Calderon to discuss your case with a dedicated and effective California workers’ comp lawyer. Call 951-901-4444 in Riverside or 844-401-0750 toll-free throughout Southern California.
