Legal Definitions - light work

Light work refers to a category of employment or job tasks that involve minimal physical exertion. In legal contexts, particularly concerning workers' compensation, disability claims, or employment accommodations, it describes work that typically requires standing or walking for only short periods, often no more than two hours in an eight-hour workday. It generally involves lifting no more than 20 pounds occasionally, with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 10 pounds. Often, light work can be performed while seated.

• Example 1: Temporary Duty After Injury

  A factory worker sustains a knee injury and, after surgery, is restricted by their doctor from standing for more than an hour at a time or lifting anything over 15 pounds. Their employer temporarily reassigns them to a position in the quality control department, where they can sit at a workstation, visually inspect finished products, and occasionally move small, lightweight items. This reassignment allows the worker to continue earning income while recovering.

  This situation illustrates "light work" because the new role accommodates the worker's physical limitations, requiring minimal standing and lifting, which aligns with the definition of reduced physical demands suitable for recovery.

• Example 2: Disability Benefits Assessment

  An individual applies for long-term disability benefits after developing a chronic back condition that prevents them from performing their previous job as a delivery driver, which involved heavy lifting and prolonged sitting. While their medical records confirm they cannot return to their former occupation, a vocational assessment determines they are still capable of "light work," such as a customer service representative role that involves answering calls from a seated position and using a computer, with no significant lifting requirements.

  Here, the assessment concludes the individual can perform "light work" because their remaining physical capacity allows for tasks that are largely sedentary and involve minimal physical exertion, indicating they are not totally disabled from all forms of employment.

• Example 3: Job Classification for Accommodation

  A large office corporation has a policy to offer "light duty" positions to employees returning from medical leave or those with permanent restrictions. One such position is a document management clerk, whose duties include scanning paper files into a digital system, organizing digital folders, and occasionally retrieving small boxes of archived documents weighing less than 10 pounds. The job description explicitly states that the role is primarily sedentary.

  This job is classified as "light work" because its core responsibilities are largely performed while seated, involve very limited physical exertion, and specify minimal lifting requirements, fitting the criteria for a low-physical-demand occupation suitable for accommodating various physical limitations.