Calculating Wages with Two Jobs Under Illinois Workers' Compensation Law

If you’re injured on the job in Illinois and you’re working more than one job, you might be wondering how your wages are calculated for workers’ compensation benefits. This is a common concern—and fortunately, Illinois law has provisions to protect workers who juggle multiple jobs. Here's what you need to know.

Understanding Average Weekly Wage (AWW)

Under Illinois Workers’ Compensation law, the amount of money you receive in benefits—whether for temporary total disability (TTD), permanent partial disability (PPD), or other benefits—is based on your Average Weekly Wage (AWW). This is typically calculated by averaging your gross wages over the 52 weeks prior to your injury.

But what happens if you work two jobs?

Concurrent Employment: What It Means

Illinois law allows concurrent employment to be included in your AWW—but only under specific conditions. If you had two or more jobs at the time of your injury, and your employer was aware of your second job, the wages from both jobs may be included when calculating your benefits.

For example:

• If you work full-time as a warehouse employee during the day and part-time as a delivery driver at night, and both positions were active at the time of your injury, you may be able to include earnings from both jobs—as long as your main employer knew about the second job.

Why Employer Awareness Matters

The requirement that your employer must be aware of your second job is not just a technicality—it’s a legal condition. The idea is that the employer and insurer should not be blindsided by the risk associated with outside employment. If they weren’t informed, they may not be obligated to consider those wages.

Best practice: If you have multiple jobs, let your employer know in writing. That way, your concurrent employment is documented.

How Benefits Are Calculated with Two Jobs

Let’s look at a quick example:

• Job A (primary job): $800/week

• Job B (part-time job): $300/week

• Total AWW: $1,100

For Temporary Total Disability (TTD) benefits, you are entitled to 2/3 of your AWW. So in this case:

• TTD benefit = 2/3 × $1,100 = $733.33/week

This is significantly more than the $533/week you’d receive if only Job A’s wages were considered.

Documentation is Key

To include both incomes, you’ll need to provide proof of earnings from both jobs—pay stubs, W-2s, or a letter from the second employer. You’ll also need to show your main employer was aware of your second job.

What If You Can Still Work One Job But Not the Other?

Sometimes, your injury might prevent you from doing one job but not the other. In this case, your benefits could be reduced or adjusted depending on your current earning capacity.

For example:

• You can’t do your warehouse job because of lifting restrictions.

• You can still drive part-time.

The insurer might argue that your wage-loss is only partial, not total. In this situation, Temporary Partial Disability (TPD) benefits might apply instead.

Get Legal Help if Needed

Workers’ compensation law is complex, especially when multiple employers are involved. Contact the attorneys at Adeszko, Abate & Green for a free consultation.