Workers’ Compensation Benefits

Average Weekly Wage (AWW)

• Your average weekly wage is based on your earnings for the 52 weeks prior to the date of injury.
• Your AWW is based on your gross earnings, not your take-home pay, and includes overtime.

Collecting Wage Information

Your employer is required to fill out Employer's Statement of Wage Earnings Preceding Date of Accident (Form C-240), Form C-240 provides your total gross pay (before taxes and other deductions are taken out), and the number of days paid each week (including paid time off), for the 52 weeks immediately prior to the date of your injury.

• If you did not work for a full year before you were injured, your employer should fill it out as completely as possible.
• If you only worked for a short period of time before your injury, then your employer should fill out Form C-240 and include the salary of a worker with the same or a similar job title and salary who has worked for the whole year.

Examples

• If you generally worked five days per week, your AWW will be set by dividing your total salary by the total number of days paid, then multiplying the result by 260, and dividing that total by 52.
  • Example: For a person who earned a total of $45,000 and was paid for 250 days in the year leading up to the date of accident, the AWW using this calculation would be set at $900.
• If you generally worked six days per week, your AWW will be set by dividing your total salary by the total number of days paid, multiplying the result by 300, and dividing that total by 52.
• If you generally worked four days per week, or were a seasonal worker, your AWW might be set by dividing your total salary by the total number of days paid, multiplying that number by 200, and dividing the total by 52.

Situations That May Affect the Calculation of AWW

• If you only work for part of the year at one job, and work part of the year at another.
• If you work less than four days per week.
• If you did not substantially work a full year before your injury.
• Wage expectancy consideration may be given if you have a permanent injury and were less than 25 years old on the date that the injury occurred. You might be entitled to an AWW that is higher than the one set by applying the formula to the Employer's Statement of Wage Earnings Preceding Date of Accident (Form C-240).
• If you were working for more than one employer at the time you were injured, you might be entitled to have your AWW set by adding both weekly salaries together. This may be called concurrent or dual employment, depending upon the circumstances.