Hello.If someone has been on ltd/cppd for 3 yrs and attempted a return to work within the first 2 years which failed,are they able to attempt a second return to work if health improves?(i am still an employee with my company)I searched in the forum but couldnt find much info on this.I guess im worried if i return to work again and it fails a second time, i could loose my benefits.Can anyone help me with this?Thanks in advance
Hi Paul, yes you absolutely are able to try again. It’s possible that they will view your employment contract as frustrated if it fails twice, but to be fair, it’s also possible that they will eventually decide the contract is frustrated and terminate your employment anyway. These are the high stakes fears we have to live with. Being stuck without work really sucks to be sure.
I would suggest though that you spend some time being very, very honest with yourself about why your first attempt to return failed and whether it’s something that truly improved. I tried to cling to my job for months after it was apparent that I couldn’t do it any more because I loved my job so much. Can you set yourself up some kind of personal trial of the kind of things you would need to do? I tried that and it quickly became apparent that getting myself up and ready for work was the maximum that I could manage, leaving nothing available to actually do the work… Every now and again a friend asks me to help them with something similar as a favour and what used to take me an hour takes 3 days.
So. I would set myself a plan to replicate the kinds of efforts I would need to go back to my job and see if I can sustain it for a week, two weeks, a month. Then decide if there is actually any chance that I can go back to work. For me there wasn’t but I hope for better for you.
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Thank you Caro you have been a great help to me on here.I can relate to what you are saying.Im not sure if i can try and prepare myself in any way my job is kind of unique.Like you i very much want to work and i have a great occupation/ job which i dont want to loose. In the same breath,if im able to make a second attempt to return to work im scared they may terminate my position.I do work for a large scale employer and am in a union not sure if that makes any difference.
Say things improve in the near future and doctors
approve a second attempt at a gradual return.If im unsucessful winthin the recurrence time would ltd have to re open my claim?
Could they cancel my benefits?So many questions and worries:/
Many LTD policies have a feature that if you become disabled again within so many months then they will continue your previous LTD claim. Check with your union for a full description of the features of your LTD policy. Obviously it’s in the insurer’s interests to get you back to work and off of LTD.
If your job can’t be mimicked at home try to think of something that you can do that would be similarly demanding. Good luck!
@Caro Thank you.Do you mind me asking how many times you attempted to return to work before you realized you couldnt do it?I have come up with a plan to try and prepare for return,some tests i can do as you suggested