A nursing student working part time 20 hours a week earns $10 per hour. Upon graduation her hours increase to 40 hours per week and she is promised a raise to $1,000 per week after receiving her nursing certificate. She has an injury in 2005 while working part-time graduates, completes and passes the nursing exam and receives her nursing certificate. Her temporary disability rate is:

A nursing student working part time 20 hours a week earns $10 per hour. Upon graduation her hours increase to 40 hours per week and she is promised a raise to $1,000 per week after receiving her nursing certificate. She has an injury in 2005 while working part-time graduates, completes and passes the nursing exam and receives her nursing certificate. Her temporary disability rate is:

• A. $133.33 while part-time, $266.67 after she graduates, and $666.67 after receiving her nursing certificate
• B. $200 while part time, $266.67 after she graduates and $667.67 after receiving her nursing certificate
• C. who cares
• D. $200 while part time, $266,67 after graduation

Answer: (A)

Temporary disability benefits in California are calculated as two-thirds of the worker’s weekly earnings at the time of disability. Here, during the part-time period she earns 20 hours at $10 per hour, which is $200 per week. Two-thirds of $200 is $133.33, so the rate would be $133.33 in that phase. After graduation she would be working 40 hours per week, which would push weekly earnings to $400; two-thirds of that is $266.67. After receiving the nursing certificate her weekly earnings rise to $1,000, and two-thirds of that is $666.67. So the rates align with applying the two-thirds rule to the earnings in each stage: $133.33 while part-time, $266.67 after graduation, and $666.67 after certification. The key point is that the temporary disability rate depends on the earnings base at the time of disability and can change as earnings change.

Temporary disability benefits in California are calculated as two-thirds of the worker’s weekly earnings at the time of disability. Here, during the part-time period she earns 20 hours at $10 per hour, which is $200 per week. Two-thirds of $200 is $133.33, so the rate would be $133.33 in that phase. After graduation she would be working 40 hours per week, which would push weekly earnings to $400; two-thirds of that is $266.67. After receiving the nursing certificate her weekly earnings rise to $1,000, and two-thirds of that is $666.67. So the rates align with applying the two-thirds rule to the earnings in each stage: $133.33 while part-time, $266.67 after graduation, and $666.67 after certification. The key point is that the temporary disability rate depends on the earnings base at the time of disability and can change as earnings change.