DLI assigns a Worker Identification Number (WID) to claims, which can be used instead of a Social Security number to identify a case; use of WID is optional but encouraged for privacy.
Return‑to‑work and vocational rehabilitation Employers are strongly encouraged to bring injured workers back to work as soon as medically appropriate, using: • Modified or transitional duties. • Reasonable accommodation of restrictions. • Formal disability‑management or return‑to‑work programs. If an injured employee remains off work beyond certain thresholds (for example, more than 90 days) and no waiver is granted, the employee is typically entitled to a vocational rehabilitation consultation by a DLI‑registered qualified rehabilitation consultant to determine eligibility for rehabilitation services. Minnesota law also provides: • For employers with more than 15 full‑time employees , a civil penalty (up to one year’s wages, capped at $15,000 ) for refusing without reasonable cause to offer continued employment that is available within the employee’s physical limitations. A suitable job offe r is one that fits medical restrictions and restores the worker as close as reasonably possible to prior economic status (wages, promotion potential, benefits), taking into account age, education, work history, interests, and skills. Unionized employers should coordinate return‑to‑work efforts with applicable collective‑bargaining agreements to avoid conflicting with seniority or assignment provisions. Dispute resolution Most claims are resolved without significant dispute. DLI has a statutory mandate to assist both employees and employers in resolving workers’ compensation problems informally. Available tools include: • Advice and assistance from DLI workers’ compensation specialists and attorneys (by phone or in person). • Informal administrative conferences at DLI (often focused on medical or rehabilitation disputes). • Conferences at the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) regarding discontinuance of benefits and other issues. • Mediation , conducted by DLI or OAH, where a neutral mediator helps parties reach a voluntary agreement; mediators do not issue binding decisions.
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