The workers’ compensation system is designed to help employees return to gainful employment while also offsetting some of the expenses and lost wages they incur as a result of their injuries. In an accepted claim, all of your current and future medical expenses will be accounted for, but wage loss benefits won’t pay you the exact same amount of money that you earned while working at your job. So how much does workers’ compensation actually pay? Below, we explain how your wage loss benefits will be calculated in Minnesota.
How Much Will I Get Paid After A Work Injury
Wage loss benefits in Minnesota pay an injured employee two-thirds of their normal earnings while they are working to recover following an on-the-job injury. For some salaried individuals, it becomes pretty easy to determine how much you’ll earn through wage loss benefits, as you’ll earn two-thirds of your normal pay. However, a number of individuals do not get the exact same paycheck each week. Here’s how your pay may be calculated:
Part-Time Workers – Your total wages will be counted for the previous 26 weeks and divided by the number of days you worked to help determine your average weekly pay and your wage loss benefits.
Overtime – Any regular overtime will be included in your average weekly wage calculation. A lawyer can help make a case to your average weekly wage if your overtime is irregular.
Tips – Reported tips will be included in your average weekly wage calculation, but only if you’ve correctly reported them each pay period.
Bonuses – Regular bonuses will also be included when determining your average weekly wage. Oftentimes this is done by looking at the bonuses you received last year or were expected to receive again this year.
Wage Loss Maximums And Minimums
It’s also worth noting that Minnesota has some maximum and minimum compensation rates for lost wages. No matter how much you earn, you will be unable to collect more than $850 a week in wage loss benefits, and again this is based on your average weekly compensation. The minimum amount payable per week is $130 or the injured employee’s actual weekly wage, whatever is less. This amount really only applies to part-time workers, as working a full-time job, even at minimum wage, would earn you much more than $130 a week.
If calculating your wage loss benefits is at all confusing, or you simply want to ensure that you receive everything you’re entitled to receive with your claim, trust your case to an experienced injury law firm like Hey Workers. We’ve helped countless employees earn the wage loss compensation they deserve, and we’d be more than happy to do the same for you. For more information, or for help with any aspect of your case, reach out to the team at Hey Workers today at (844) 439-9675.
