Partial Disability: Some STD plans will allow you to return to work part-time while you are able to continue receiving benefits. This is called a “loss of earnings” or “residual ” benefit. For instance, if you had worked 8 hours per day prior to your disability, and now you are able to only work 4 hours per day, your STD policy may fill in some of your wages for the outstanding 4 hours not worked.
Benefit Periods: Your STD policy may allow you to return to work on a trial basis. This means that your policy may allow you a trial period to see if you are able to return to work. If you go to work and stay for less than the two weeks and discover that you are unable to do your job because of your disability, your policy would allow you to continue on with your disability benefits as if you had never returned to work. However, if you are able to stay at work for longer than the two week trial period, and then find that the same disability is again preventing you from doing your job, you will likely be required to reapply for short-term disability and go through the waiting process all over again, if you are even eligible to receive benefits on that disability any longer. It is quite possible that your disability may no longer be covered after being able to return to work with little or no difficulty for two weeks or longer.
Premium Changes: If you enroll in a “non-cancelable” STD policy, the insurance company is not allowed to change the price of your premiums or your benefits. However, if you enroll in a “guaranteed renewable” STD policy, the insurance company is permitted to make changes to the price of your premiums, but only if they are changing the premium prices for an entire group of policy holders.
