An employee earning $16 per hour for 40 hours and $12 per hour for 20 hours has a temporary disability rate of what amount for an injury on the $16 per hour job?

• A. $426.67
• B. $480.00
• C. $586.67
• D. $880.00

Answer: (C)

To determine the temporary disability rate for an employee who earns different hourly wages for different hours worked, you first need to calculate their average weekly wage based on the hours they work at each rate.

In this case, the employee works 40 hours at $16 per hour, which amounts to $640 (40 hours x $16/hour). They also work 20 hours at $12 per hour, which totals $240 (20 hours x $12/hour). The total earnings for the week are therefore $640 + $240 = $880.

To find the temporary disability rate, the average weekly wage (in this case, $880) is often used as a baseline. Depending on jurisdiction and specific rules related to temporary disability compensation, the rate could be a percentage of the average weekly wage. However, without additional specifics regarding discount factors or deductions, the full average weekly wage of $880 is presented as a straightforward calculation of what the employee earns in a week.

This approach to calculating the temporary disability rate highlights the importance of accurately assessing weekly earnings based on varied job rates, ensuring that employees receive fair compensation reflective of their actual income prior to the incident. In this scenario, since the calculations are straightforward and align with the defined earnings, the average weekly