In today’s world, many people hold two jobs, their main full-time job and a secondary part-time job. So what happens when you are injured at work at one job and it causes you to miss work from both jobs? The easy answer is that you may be entitled to wage loss benefits for both the full-time and part-time jobs.
By way of example, let’s assume you work a full time job at a manufacturing plant and you work at a grocery store on the weekend for about 15 hours per week. Let’s also assume you get injured at your full time job and it also causes you to miss time from both jobs. You are entitled to wage loss benefits for both your full-time and part-time jobs. Here is the caveat to this. You must have been employed and working the secondary part-time job at the time of your work injury. If you pick up a second job after the date of injury and begin missing time from that secondary job due to the injury, then you are not entitled to wage loss benefits for the part-time job because you did not start the part-time job until after you were injured at work.
Secondary jobs also impact wage loss benefits amounts. Let me explain. Let’s assume you made an average week wage of $900.00 per week at your full time job. Let’s also assume you make an additional $300.00 per week at that grocery store job on the weekend. Since you were working that part-time job at the time of injury and are missing work at both jobs due to the work injury, for purposes of calculating your average weekly wage, your average weekly wage would be $1,200.00 per week. Since you are also missing time from the part-time job, those wages are included in the calculations, even though you were not injured at that part-time job.
These are called “concurrent wages”. Your average weekly wage would be $1200 per week and your compensation rate based on the statewide average weekly wage chart $800.04, or 2/3 your average weekly wage. If you are eventually released to return to work in light duty, and your full-time job offers you light duty, but your part-time job refuses to accommodate because the work injury did not occur with them, you would still be paid partial benefits, based on wage loss form the part-time job. Likewise, the result is the same if you were injured at your part-time job and was also losing time at work at your full-time job. Your part-time job workers compensation benefits would have to cover your full-time job wage loss as well. .
It is important to tell your workers compensation attorney about any secondary employment you held sat the time you were injured at work. It can mean a big difference in your weekly benefits and your overall case value. Remember — if you are hurt on the job, don’t wait and get your case in trouble. Call Mooney law today for an absolutely free consultation for workers compensation. Mooney Law is experienced, proven and trusted throughout Central Pennsylvania. Call us at 717-200-HELP or 833-MOONEYLAW. You can also visit our main website at http://www.mooney4law.com.
