In a case where an employee is injured on December 1, coworker reports December 2, the employee returns a completed DWC-1 on December 3, and the physician takes the employee off work on December 6 through December 16, on which date does the waiting period begin?

• A. December 1
• B. December 2
• C. December 3
• D. December 6

Answer: (D)

The waiting period starts on the first day the employee becomes disabled and unable to work because of the injury. It doesn’t begin on the injury date or when a report or claim is filed; it starts when the physician stops the worker from working.

Here, the employee is taken off work on December 6, so that is when the waiting period begins. The three-day waiting period would cover December 6, 7, and 8, with any temporary disability benefits contingent on continuing disability after that period.