Unfortunately, accidents do not only occur while you are at work. You can seriously injure yourself in many different places and ways. While in the emergency room or hospital, you will probably think about the work you are missing and the wages you are losing rather than what you need to do to improve.
There are a few things you should know about this situation.
At-will employment
Georgia is an at-will employment state, meaning your employer can fire you for things outside of work. This includes injury, inability to work, and inability to perform normal work duties. Although your health comes first, be sure to contact your employer and tell them about the injury.
Apply for Family Medical Leave right away
Under the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993, you may be able to keep your job if you meet certain criteria. This is not always the case. If your recovery lasts over 12 weeks or you will be permanently disabled after the 12 weeks, they can still terminate you. They can also terminate you if you do not meet the criteria set forth by this act.
Find out if you are within ADA guidelines
Sometimes an outside-of-work injury leaves you disabled and unable to perform your duties outside of work. You may need to file under the Americans With Disabilities Act to possibly keep your job.
File for unemployment
Your employer can terminate you if you do not qualify under these federal laws. When this happens, you need to file for unemployment. Make sure you know your employer’s procedure for filing.
There are many reasons why your non-work-related injury may or may not result in termination. Some of these reasons and ways around them are difficult to figure out independently.