State ex rel. Pacheco v. Indus. Comm. (Slip Opinion)

**Ohio Supreme Court Rules on Worker's Compensation and Light-Duty Work** This case involved a worker injured at Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) who was receiving temporary total disability benefits through workers' compensation. The dispute centered on whether the worker had to accept a light-duty job that Alcoa offered him, which would have reduced his benefits. The Ohio Supreme Court made a split decision. The court agreed with lower courts that medical evidence showed the injured worker was physically capable of performing the light-duty position Alcoa offered. However, the court said the lower court made an error when it decided whether Alcoa made this job offer in "good faith" - meaning whether the company was genuinely trying to help the worker return to work or just trying to cut off his benefits. **What this means for workers:** If you're injured and collecting workers' compensation, your employer may offer you modified work duties. You can potentially be required to take these jobs if you're medically cleared to do them. However, employers must make these offers genuinely and in good faith, not as a way to unfairly terminate your benefits. The specific details of each job offer matter significantly.