What are Temporary Disability Benefits in California?

Sacramento, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) -- Temporary disability benefits are payments for a worker get if a worker loses wages because an injury prevents her from doing her usual job while recovering.

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What are TD benefits?

TD benefits are payments a worker gets from the claims administrator if the worker can’t do her usual job while recovering from injury or illness. TD benefits are not taxable. If a worker can do some work while recovering but earn less than before the injury, she will receive temporary partial disability benefits. If a worker can’t work at all while recovering she will receive temporary total disability benefits. Some employers have plans that pay all wages for all or part of the time a worker is temporarily disabled. These plans are called salary continuation. There are different types of salary continuation plans. Some use vacation or sick leave to supplement the TD payments required by state law.

How is TD calculated?

As a general rule, workers are paid two-thirds of their gross (pre-tax) wages at the time of injury, with minimum and maximum rates set by law. Wages are figured out by using all forms of income workers receive from work: wages, food, lodging, tips, commissions, overtime and bonuses. Wages can also include earnings from work workers did at other jobs at the time they were injured.

When does TD start and stop?

TD payments begin when a doctor says a doctor can’t do her usual work for more than three days or gets hospitalized overnight. Payments must be made every two weeks. Generally, TD stops when the worker returns to work, or when the doctor releases her for work, or says her injury has improved as much as it’s going to.

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