Generally no. When the workers’ compensation system was created, there was a trade-off: the threshold for qualifying for benefits was lowered, but the benefits themselves were limited. So you don’t receive your full pay or salary when you’re out of work on workers’ compensation. Instead, you receive a percentage of your earnings. In Rhode Island, if you’re injured at work, the law currently provides that you will receive 62% of your average weekly earnings. We calculate that average by looking at what you made in the 13 weeks prior to your injury, including overtime and bonuses from the past year. All of that is added together to determine your average weekly wage, and your weekly check while you’re out of work on workers’ comp will be 62% of that number. If you need help understanding how your weekly benefit is calculated, our Rhode Island workers compensation lawyers can review your wage records with you. You can also look at our RI workers’ comp benefits for more details on benefit rules. It may also be helpful to explore related topics like whether benefits can be garnished or how disability payments interact with workers’ comp.

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