Standard for Returning An Injured Employee to Work

In Kachinski v. Workmen's Compensation Appeal Board 516 Pa. 240, 532 A.2d 374 (1987), our Supreme Court set forth the following standard for returning an injured employee to work: (1) an employer who seeks to modify a claimant's benefits on the basis that he has recovered some or all of his ability must first produce medical evidence of a change in condition; (2) the employer must then produce evidence of a referral (or referrals) to a then open job (or jobs) which fits in the occupational category for which the claimant has been given medical clearance, e.g., light work, sedentary work, etc.; (3) the claimant must then demonstrate that he has in good faith followed through on the job referral(s), and; (4) if the referral fails to result in a job, then the claimant's benefits should continue.