WCD Preferred Worker Program (PWP): qualification and employment support: practical steps
Work & Wages
Oregon preparation and procedure guide
Source review: 2026-10-18

Scope: Shared Oregon or applicable federal procedure; confirm local requirements
PWP offers qualified Oregon injured workers and employers employment purchases, worksite modifications and reemployment incentives subject to program conditions.

Who this route is for
Workers with permanent restrictions from an on-the-job injury who cannot return to regular employment because of that injury. Participating employers must maintain Oregon workers' compensation insurance and follow the applicable laws. WCD must confirm qualification and benefit-specific conditions.

Timing and notices
Read the actual notice and current official instructions promptly. Confirm any request, appeal, review or response date with the appropriate agency/insurer; this guide does not calculate a case deadline.

Prepare (conditional documents may have alternatives)
[ ] Preparation suggestion: accepted-claim and permanent-restriction information, current job/offer details and the specific employment barrier.
[ ] Ask PWP staff which qualification and benefit-specific worker/employer forms and documents are needed. The overview does not present one universal worker purchase application.

How to proceed
1. Confirm this is a workers' compensation return-to-work question involving permanent restrictions, not a general disability grant. Contact PWP staff for an individual qualification review.
2. Call 800-445-3948 or email pwp.oregon@dcbs.oregon.gov and use the linked PWP forms/resources. Explain the job and proposed support and confirm the correct worker/employer/insurer role.
3. Get the applicable approval, timing and purchase/reimbursement instructions before making commitments. Keep the authorization and any employer/insurer notice or receipt required for the specific benefit.

Open official instructions and request route: https://wcd.oregon.gov/rtw/Pages/pwp.aspx

Limits: Overview amounts are program limits, not an individual award. Qualification does not establish every purchase or employer incentive; confirm approval, job-in-Oregon conditions, timing and responsibility before spending. The premium exemption notice requirement is employer-specific, not a universal worker application deadline.

Publisher sources
Oregon Workers' Compensation Division : Preferred Worker Program (PWP) : Return to work : State of Oregon
https://wcd.oregon.gov/rtw/Pages/pwp.aspx
Evidence type: publisher-html-snapshot
SHA-256: 6a259078768d36b5dbb06cd77f49298bee8798c15234a12d49a1850fffa477b0
Oregon Workers' Compensation Division : Returning to work : Worker : State of Oregon
https://wcd.oregon.gov/worker/Pages/return-to-work.aspx
Evidence type: publisher-html-snapshot
SHA-256: 8d1e239c6fb02a491d2747633350289b98fca64f114799d258b8d8e245359dbb

This site helps you prepare. It does not submit filings, calculate personal deadlines, decide eligibility or replace professional review. A complaint or help request does not pause another case or deadline.

Start here
Confirm this is a workers' compensation return-to-work question involving permanent restrictions, not a general disability grant. Contact PWP staff for an individual qualification review.

Where and how to submit
Contact WCD Preferred Worker Program (PWP) staff at 800-445-3948 or pwp.oregon@dcbs.oregon.gov to ask about qualification, the correct forms and job/purchase conditions. Review the PWP forms/resources and coordinate any employer benefit request with the employer/insurer; do not assume a purchase is authorized.
https://wcd.oregon.gov/rtw/Pages/pwp.aspx

What will it cost?
PWP includes employer/insurer incentives and qualified employment purchases; posted caps are not personal awards. Confirm authorization, covered cost, payee and any worker responsibility before spending. No purchase or reimbursement is guaranteed.

After submission
Keep qualification/authorization notices and follow up with the PWP contact and employer/insurer identified for the benefit. The employer's premium-exemption reporting period is not a universal worker claim deadline.

Corrections, denials and appeals
If you are not qualified or the purchase/job does not fit program rules, ask about the correct insurer vocational or other return-to-work route. PWP, EAIP and general ODHS vocational rehabilitation are different programs.

Language, disability and offline help
The program publishes the same toll-free contact for Spanish information at 800-445-3948. Ask staff about interpretation, accessible forms and help coordinating the worker/employer parts.

Additional workflow sources (reviewed 2026-10-18)
Oregon Workers' Compensation Division : Preferred Worker Program (PWP) : Return to work : State of Oregon
https://wcd.oregon.gov/rtw/Pages/pwp.aspx
SHA-256: 6a259078768d36b5dbb06cd77f49298bee8798c15234a12d49a1850fffa477b0
Oregon Workers' Compensation Division : Returning to work : Worker : State of Oregon
https://wcd.oregon.gov/worker/Pages/return-to-work.aspx
SHA-256: 8d1e239c6fb02a491d2747633350289b98fca64f114799d258b8d8e245359dbb