I went through something like that a few times.. for RSI related issues

My suggestion is to hang in there and keep working even the dullest job as long as you are able to. It may be only for a limited time while you recover to a better level or it may be months to years..

But it is much better to stay with your current company/employer- esp if you have some seniority, benefits and decent wages.

The employer can only find you work with in the bounds of the Drs restrictions.
You may be able to add certain types of input/suggestions to your Dr if there are certain things you know you could do without problems - up to a point..


That was a big confusing point at my place of work - between the HR lady & my Dr writing the modified notes - no one can cover all the bases of hand /arm use either it was too general or too restrictive..

the Silly part!
How are you supposed to drive to work & open the doors to get in if you have a "no arms use" note LOL {not to mention- go to the bathroom, eat, make your meals, get dressed LOL}

I guess that note was clarified to mean while "at work" i was limited to no arm use because the HR lady previously had me doing paper sorting and placing pages in an over stuffed binder- which went against the "no repetitive hand/arm use" note i also had previous "no griping, no pinching, no push /pull and weight limits" notes
we were trying to dial it in to find the right limits that would work best...

I did get to walk the parking lot as "security" for 2 months - glad they had some trees as it was in the 90s quite often. Got full wages tho so really can't complain - I think it was some sort of a test by wc & HR lady to see if I would do it or not..
or because my manger from the assembly dept was also manager of the maint/security dept - maybe he approved it for me. He & my supervisors helped as best they could for me - but once it went to the HR lady

she didn't understand how much we really use or upper body in assembly- all she knows it the written descriptions & the few times she came down to view the work areas.

Anyway after my book here
It is not easy at all to find another job while you are injured/recuperating and start at starting wages...

i wish I had realized more about how the system works and had talked to my manager before it got to the HR lady - manager probably would have "made " a doable job for me.. but I was a long time employee and knew manager and supervisors for 15 yrs.

But I had a chronic RSI/TOS thing - I don't know if your injury is something that you will recover fully from or not... but for now I suggest - stay where you are and make the best of it while you recover as best you can.. then see where you are at after all is done...