Key References & Legislation
Many NSW workers hold more than one job. If you are injured at one workplace and that injury prevents you from working at your second job, you are entitled to have those lost earnings covered.
This is one of the most common underpayment issues in NSW claims. Insurers often calculate weekly payments only from the job where the injury happened, even though the injury has actually taken you out of two income streams. If that happens, the problem is usually fixed through a targeted PIAWE recalculation supported by payslips, rosters, bank records, and a clear explanation of your concurrent employment pattern.
Fast check: when a second job should matter
- You were working two jobs at the time of injury.
- Your work injury stopped you from performing duties in both jobs, not just one.
- Your insurer used only one employer's wages to set your weekly rate.
- You have payslips, bank statements, rosters, or tax records proving the second income.
If those points sound familiar, compare your rate against our PIAWE calculation guide and request a written recalculation before the underpayment grows.
Including All Earnings in your PIAWE
Your Pre-Injury Average Weekly Earnings (PIAWE) should reflect your total earnings across all of your relevant employers at the time of the injury.
- Concurrent Employment: If you held two jobs, the insurer of the workplace where you were injured is responsible for paying weekly compensation based on the combined income of both.
- Disclosing the Second Job: It is vital to provide payslips from all employers to the insurer immediately so your payments are calculated correctly from the start.
What usually goes wrong before the insurer admits the second job matters
The file is opened as a one-employer claim
The insurer often starts with wages from the injury employer only, then treats that first rate as if it were final. If you had rostered casual shifts, penalties, or a separate weekend employer, the missing income can silently roll through the whole claim.
Partial return to one job is misread as no wage loss
A worker who can return to light duties in one role may still be unable to perform the physical, hours, or shift demands of the second job. When the insurer ignores that distinction, the underpayment can become a combined PIAWE and work capacity dispute.
Evidence is given informally but never tied to a rate challenge
Workers often email payslips or mention a second job on the phone, but never make a written recalculation request. If the issue is not framed clearly, the insurer can act as if nothing was ever raised. Use the PIAWE recalculation request guide to force a proper decision.
The dispute is left too long and arrears get messier
The longer a second-job underpayment sits, the more complicated the arrears, indexation, and review trail become. If there is already a reduction, stoppage, or insurer notice on foot, compare it with the weekly payments stopped guide and the section 78 notice guide.
What if I can only work one of my jobs?
If your medical restrictions allow you to return to one job but not the other, your weekly payments will be adjusted based on what you are actually earning versus your total pre-injury capacity.
That usually means your certificate of capacity, employer duties, and actual post-injury earnings all need to be lined up properly. If the insurer treats your partial return to one job as proof that you have no loss at all, the dispute can overlap with a work capacity decision as well as a wage-rate argument.
Evidence checklist for second-job underpayments
- Payslips from every employer during the relevant PIAWE period.
- Bank statements showing regular deposits from both jobs.
- Group certificates or income statements if payslips are incomplete.
- Rosters or messages proving shifts you normally worked.
- Certificates of capacity describing why the injury affected both roles.
- Any insurer rate notice showing they excluded concurrent earnings.
If the insurer still refuses to fix the rate, move from an informal request to a written recalculation demand and be ready to escalate through the PIC dispute process. If you are unsure which scheme agent is handling the file, use the NSW workers compensation insurer directory.
How to force a cleaner second-job review before the dispute spreads
The most useful move is usually not a vague complaint that your money looks low. It is a targeted written rate challenge that shows both employments, the missing wage material, and why the injury stopped you from performing each role. That approach gives the insurer less room to pretend the issue is unclear or still under informal review.
Map the loss job by job
Show what you did in each job, what hours or shifts you were working, and which physical or psychological restrictions now stop you doing them. This matters when an insurer accepts incapacity in one role but tries to act as if the second role does not count.
Tie the wage records to a written recalculation request
Payslips alone are not enough if they never get attached to a clear rate dispute. Use the recalculation pathway so the insurer has to respond to the actual underpayment issue.
Watch for work-capacity language slipping into the file
If the insurer starts talking about suitable employment, current capacity, or partial return to work, the second-job issue may no longer be just about wages. Compare the file with the work capacity decision guide before that framing hardens.
Do not let section 39 pressure arrive on a bad rate
A low starting PIAWE can distort the entire weekly-payments path all the way to the 260-week cutoff. If your claim is already under long-tail pressure, compare this issue with the section 39 guide and the PIAWE indexation guide.
Are your second job earnings missing?
Insurers often "overlook" secondary employment when setting your initial payment rate. We can help you force a recalculation to include every dollar you earned.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can workers compensation include income from two jobs in NSW?
Yes. Where you had concurrent employment, weekly payments can be based on combined earnings if you provide evidence from each employer.
What should I send to prove second-job earnings?
Send payslips, payment summaries, bank records, rosters, and records of regular overtime or allowances for each job so the insurer can calculate PIAWE accurately.
What should I do in the first 48 hours if my second job income was excluded?
Gather payslips and roster records for both jobs, ask for a written PIAWE rate breakdown, and lodge a written recalculation request that names the missing second-job earnings clearly.
What if the insurer excluded my second job from PIAWE?
Ask for a written recalculation, request an internal review, and escalate to the Personal Injury Commission if the underpayment is not corrected.
Related weekly-payments and dispute guides
- Weekly Payments Hub
- Workers Compensation Services (NSW)
- PIAWE Calculation Guide
- Request Recalculation
- PIAWE Indexation Checks
- Weekly Payments Stopped
- Dispute a Work Capacity Decision
- Challenge a Section 78 Notice
- Section 39 (260-Week) Risk Guide
- If the Insurer Denies Part of Your Claim
- PIC Dispute Process
- NSW Workers Compensation Insurer Directory
- Start Free Claim Check
Missing wages from a second job can be recovered
If your insurer used only one employer's wages, ask for a fast review before more weekly underpayments build up. The earlier the calculation is corrected, the easier it is to recover arrears cleanly.