Light Duties at Work: How Amended Duties Work After Injury

Light duties, sometimes called amended or modified duties, are a temporary change to your job. They let you come back to work while you are still recovering from an injury, operation or illness. You do part of your normal job, or a different set of tasks, that will not set your recovery back. A warehouse worker with a bad back might check stock instead of lifting it. A nurse after wrist surgery might do phone work for a few weeks. UK law does not give you an automatic right to light duties. But your fit note can suggest them. And if your condition counts as a disability, your employer has a duty to consider them as a reasonable adjustment.

The short version is this. Get the advice written down on a fit note or by occupational health. Agree in writing exactly what you will and will not do. Check what happens to your pay. Set a review date. The rest of this page goes through each of those, with examples for different kinds of job.

What light or amended duties actually mean

There is no legal definition. 'Light duties' tends to be used in manual jobs, and 'amended' or 'modified duties' in offices and the public sector. They mean the same thing: your normal role, changed for a while. That can mean:

• Removing tasks - no lifting over a set weight, no ladders, no night shifts, no lone working.
• Changing how tasks are done - using a trolley instead of carrying, sitting instead of standing, two people instead of one.
• Swapping to different work - training, admin, quality checks, covering reception.
• Changing hours alongside duties - shorter shifts, later starts, more breaks.

The point is that you are working and earning. You keep your routine and your link with your team while your body or mind recovers. For many people, being back at work in some form helps recovery more than a long stretch at home, as long as the work fits what you can manage. That last part is the bit that goes wrong. Light duties tend to creep back to full duties without anyone deciding they should. That is how people end up off again.

How light duties are arranged

The fit note

If you have been off for more than seven days, you will usually need a fit note. The person writing it can say you are 'not fit for work'. Or they can say you 'may be fit for work taking into account the following advice'. That second option has boxes for a phased return, altered hours, amended duties and workplace adaptations, plus space for comments.

Ask whoever writes it to be specific. 'Amended duties' on its own tells your manager very little. 'No lifting above waist height and no driving for four weeks' tells them what to plan for.

GPs and hospital doctors can issue fit notes. Since 2022, so can registered nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists. Our guide to fit notes explains what each section means.

A fit note is advice, not an order, and your employer does not have to follow it. If they cannot offer the changes it suggests, government guidance says the fit note should be treated as if it said 'not fit for work'. In that case you stay on sick leave. You should not be pushed back into your full job against medical advice. Check the current fit note guidance on GOV.UK if this comes up.

Occupational health

Larger employers often have an occupational health service. Your manager may refer you, or you can ask to be referred. Occupational health compares your health with your actual job. They then recommend what you can safely do, for how long, and when it should be reviewed. Their advice usually carries a lot of weight with HR.

See occupational health referrals for how to prepare. That includes what to tell them about the parts of your job nobody else thinks about.

The return-to-work meeting

Most employers will want a meeting before or on your first day back. Go in with a clear picture of what you can do, not just what you cannot. Useful things to bring:

• Your fit note or occupational health report.
• A list of your usual tasks, split into three groups: ones you can do now, ones you could do with changes, and ones you cannot do yet.
• Any practical ideas. You often know the workarounds better than your manager does.
• Questions about pay, hours and who you report to.

Ask for what is agreed to be written down. That means the duties, any limits, the hours, the pay position, the start date and the review date. An email summary is enough. It protects you and your manager when the person who agreed it is on holiday and someone asks you to 'just give us a hand' with a lift.

Examples by type of job

These are examples, not prescriptions. What suits you depends on your condition, how your recovery is going and your workplace.

Manual and warehouse work

• Stock checking, scanning, labelling or quality control instead of picking and lifting.
• A weight limit, with heavier items left for colleagues or moved by trolley or pallet truck.
• No ladders or work at height while your balance or grip is affected.
• Rotating between tasks so you are not stuck in one posture for hours.
• Training new starters, inducting agency staff, or doing the paperwork the team never gets round to.

Care and health work

• No moving and handling of people for a set period. In care work this often means pairing with a colleague who does the transfers.
• Medication rounds, care planning, phone calls to families, rota work or training updates.
• Day shifts only, if night work affects your sleep and recovery.
• No lone working or community visits while you cannot respond quickly in an emergency.

Be wary of care roles where 'no handling' quietly becomes 'just help with this one'. If you cannot safely help in an emergency, the risk assessment needs to say so clearly.

Office work

• Changes to your workstation, such as chair, screen height, keyboard and mouse. These matter most after hand, wrist, neck or back problems.
• Working from home for part of the week to cut a tiring commute.
• Shorter days, more breaks, or fewer meetings while your concentration recovers after a head injury, stroke or long illness.
• Dropping tight deadlines or a heavy caseload for a while. Doing the same work in fewer hours is not the same thing.

Driving jobs

Driving is where the rules are strictest. If you drive for work, you are responsible for being fit to drive. Some medical conditions must be reported to the DVLA. The rules for lorry and bus licences are stricter than for cars. After surgery, or with some medicines, you may be advised not to drive for a while.

Check the condition-specific guidance on GOV.UK, ask your doctor, and tell your insurer if required. Amended duties for drivers often mean yard work, loading supervision, dispatch or route planning. They can also mean vehicle checks that do not involve driving on the road.

Pay, contracts and your sick pay policy

This is where people get caught out. In general terms:

• If you do your normal hours on amended duties in your own job, many employers keep your pay the same. That depends on your contract and policy, though. It is not a general rule.
• If you work fewer hours, you may only be paid for the hours you work. Some employers top this up with sick pay for the missing hours. Others do not.
• If you move to a different role that normally pays less, check whether your pay changes. Your employer usually cannot change your contract permanently without your agreement.
• Your holiday, pension and any company sick pay can all be affected by how the arrangement is recorded.

Read your contract and your employer's sickness absence policy before the meeting. Ask HR to confirm the pay position in writing. If something does not look right, Acas gives free, impartial advice on sickness, pay and contracts. A trade union rep can also help if you have one.

If the injury happened at work, your employer may have separate duties to record it. In some cases they must also report it to the Health and Safety Executive.

How long light duties last and why review dates matter

Light duties are meant to be temporary. A sprained wrist might need a couple of weeks. A big operation, a stroke or a long illness might need months, stepping up gradually. Your fit note will say how long its advice applies, and your employer's policy may also set a limit.

Set a review date when you start, and keep it. At each review, look honestly at:

1. What you are managing comfortably now.
2. What is causing pain, fatigue or setbacks, including how you feel the evening after work.
3. What could be added next, and in what order.
4. Whether you need new medical advice before the next step.

Building back up gradually is the same idea as a phased return, and the two are often combined. Our guide to a phased return to work has a step-by-step plan you can adapt.

A review may make it clear that you will not get back to your old job as it was. That is a different conversation. It might be about permanent adjustments, a different role, or in some cases ill health retirement. You do not have to have that conversation alone. Acas, a union or an occupational health adviser can help.

When employers can and cannot say no

In general terms, there is no automatic legal right to light duties. A small business may simply not have suitable work, and an employer does not have to invent a job. Employers also have health and safety duties. They must assess risks, and they should not put you back on tasks that could make you worse.

The picture changes if your condition counts as a disability under the Equality Act 2010. Broadly, that means a physical or mental impairment with a substantial and long-term effect on your normal daily activities. Long-term usually means it has lasted, or is likely to last, at least 12 months. Some conditions, such as cancer, count from diagnosis.

If the Act applies, your employer has a duty to make reasonable adjustments. Amended duties, altered hours or moving tasks to colleagues can all be reasonable adjustments. Your employer can still refuse an adjustment that is not reasonable, for example because of cost, practicality or the size of the business. But they need to genuinely consider it first. Our guide to reasonable adjustments at work explains how to ask.

These rules are detailed and depend on your situation. If you think you are being treated unfairly, read the guidance from Acas and on GOV.UK before you decide anything. Then talk to Acas, your union or an employment adviser.

Where an occupational therapist fits

Occupational therapists look at the things you need to do day to day and how your health affects them. Work is one of those things. A private occupational therapist can:

• Break your job down into its real physical and mental demands. That means the actual tasks, postures, weights, shift patterns and thinking load, not the job description.
• Assess what you can manage now, including how fatigue, pain, concentration or working one-handed affects you.
• Suggest specific amended duties and a graded plan to build back up, with sensible review points.
• Look at your workplace or home working set-up and suggest changes to equipment, layout and the way tasks are done.
• Write a report you can share with your employer, HR or occupational health.

See our work and ergonomics page for more on workplace assessments.

Other professionals lead on some parts of this:

• Your GP or hospital team deals with diagnosis, medication and whether you are medically fit for work.
• A physiotherapist leads on exercise-based rehab for many injuries. After hand and wrist injuries, a hand therapist (who may be an OT or a physio) usually leads.
• Occupational health, if your employer has it, makes the formal recommendation to your employer. An OT report can add detail but does not replace it.
• Your GP or NHS talking therapies are the place to start if your mood or anxiety is a big part of the picture. In England you can refer yourself to talking therapies.
• Acas or a union is the right first step for disputes about pay or your contract, not a therapist.

If your symptoms get worse after you start back, stop and get it checked. That includes new numbness, increasing pain, breathlessness or anything that feels wrong. Contact your GP, or call NHS 111 for advice. Call 999 for chest pain, sudden weakness on one side, or difficulty breathing.

Frequently asked questions

Can my employer refuse to give me light duties?

Sometimes, yes. There is no general right to light duties, and some employers will not have suitable work. If your condition counts as a disability under the Equality Act, your employer must consider reasonable adjustments, which can include amended duties. They can only turn down adjustments that are not reasonable.

If your employer cannot accommodate your fit note, you should usually stay on sick leave rather than return to full duties.

Will I be paid less on light duties?

It depends on your contract, your sickness policy and what actually changes. Working the same hours in your own role often means the same pay. Fewer hours or a lower-paid role may not. Ask HR to confirm in writing, and check the Acas guidance if you are unsure.

Do I need a fit note to go back on amended duties?

If you have been off for more than seven days, your employer will usually want a fit note covering the absence. The usual route is a fit note saying you 'may be fit for work', with amended duties ticked. You do not need a note saying you are fully better before you go back.

Can my employer make me do light duties instead of staying off sick?

If you have been signed off as not fit for work, no. Your fit note may say you could work with changes, and your employer may offer suitable duties that match it. Under some policies, refusing those duties could affect your company sick pay.

Check your policy and talk it through rather than refusing outright. Say so clearly if you think the duties on offer are not safe for you.

How long can light duties go on?

As long as you, your employer and the medical advice agree is reasonable. Many arrangements last a few weeks and some last months. Without review dates they tend to drift, so agree one at the start.

Can an occupational therapist help if my employer has no occupational health service?

Yes. A private occupational therapist can assess your job and what you can currently manage. They can then write a report with specific recommendations that you or your employer can use. Some employers will pay for this and others will not, so ask before you book.

Next steps

If you need a clear, practical plan for amended duties that you can take to your employer, an occupational therapy assessment can help. See our work and ergonomics page or functional assessments and reports, check current guide prices, and choose your area below.