When is a functional capacity evaluation done?

A functional capacity evaluation can be done anytime after an injury - even many years after. It is used by physicians, case managers, employers, etc. to transition an injured worker from disability to function and eventually employment.

If it is a workers' comp case, for example, and you are receiving disability benefits, then an FCE may be requested to show if you still need to be on disability. An FCE's purpose is to show what you CAN do, not what you CAN'T do. So, you may be evaluated to show what level of physical demand and what job category you can return to work as.

Sometimes a lawyer will request an FCE to show that you should still be receiving disability benefits and sometimes it is from the opposing side, to request proof that you should NOT still be on disability because you meet a level of function where you could be working again.

In a vocational setting, an FCE may be used to develop a "return-to-work" plan in a program like Work Hardening.