Practical review
What to check in this situation
- List every employment held on the injury date and calculate each job over its own valid earning period.
- Distinguish a second job held at injury from work first started after the injury.
- Track actual hours, capacity and post-injury gross earnings separately for each role.
Records that may help
Keep contracts, commencement dates, payslips, rosters, payroll summaries and tax records for both jobs, plus Certificates of Capacity and the insurer's job-by-job calculation.
Next procedural step
Provide the missing job records with a written recalculation request and challenge any separate capacity assumption through the pathway stated in the insurer notice.
Overview: can two jobs be counted in NSW weekly payments?
Under the current PIAWE framework, if you held more than one job at the date of injury, the average weekly earnings for each job are determined separately and then added to calculate PIAWE. That calculation is distinct from the later weekly-payment formula, which also considers current earnings and work capacity. Ask for the insurer's written breakdown and provide wage records from every job.
If the insurer used only one employer's wages, treat it as a rate-check issue, not just a complaint. Request a written recalculation, keep copies of both employers' wage records, and get advice before accepting a work capacity decision or payment rate that ignores the second income stream.
Many NSW workers hold more than one job. The current SIRA reference guide says each job held at the injury date is included in PIAWE by calculating that job's average separately and then adding the results. Whether weekly compensation is payable for a particular period also depends on the statutory formula, current earnings and capacity.
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 addressed through a targeted PIAWE recalculation supported by payslips, rosters, bank records, and a clear explanation of your concurrent employment pattern.
Which employer and insurer usually manage the claim?
A claim is ordinarily made in relation to the employment that caused the injury, and that employer's workers compensation insurer manages liability, treatment and weekly payments. A second employer does not become the claims insurer merely because that job paid more. However, if the worker held the second job at the injury date, its earnings may still form part of the PIAWE calculation.
The position can be different where two separate injuries occurred, a disease developed through work for several employers, or there is a dispute about which entity employed the worker. Those cases require the injury, employment relationship and earnings calculation to be analysed separately; choosing one insurer from a wage statement is not a reliable shortcut.
When a second job needs to be included
- You were working two jobs at the time of injury.
- 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.
- Your current earnings and capacity in each job are recorded accurately for the weekly-payment formula.
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:For the current PIAWE framework, each job's earnings and relevant earning period are determined separately, and the average amounts are then added.
- Disclosing the second job: Provide payslips from all employers promptly so the insurer can address each employment in its calculation.
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 may not address the calculation issue. Use the PIAWE recalculation request guide to identify the missing records and ask for 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.
Illustrative example
A worker injures a shoulder while employed in a weekday warehouse role and also holds weekend hospitality shifts. The warehouse employer's insurer administers the injury claim. The worker gives that insurer the contract, payslips and rosters for both jobs because the shoulder restrictions prevent work in either role. Each employment is averaged using its own relevant earning period before the results are brought into PIAWE. The example explains the method only; weekly entitlement also depends on current earnings, capacity and the applicable statutory formula.
Ask for the calculation promptly after receiving a PIAWE decision. Review and dispute timing depends on the document and claim circumstances, and informal discussions do not necessarily protect a formal time limit.
How to prepare a clear second-job review
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 a clear calculation issue and a defined evidence set to address.
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 can address 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can workers compensation include income from two jobs in NSW?
Under the current framework, the average earnings from each job held at the injury date are calculated separately and then added for PIAWE. The amount payable also depends on current earnings and capacity.
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 early triage stage 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 and provide the missing records. You may request an optional insurer review or lodge a dispute with the Personal Injury Commission; internal review is not a mandatory first step.
Related weekly-payments and dispute guides
- Weekly Payments Hub
- Workers Compensation Services (NSW)
- PIAWE Calculation Guide
- Request Recalculation
- PIAWE Indexation Checks
- Weekly Payments Stopped
- Part-Time Work and Current Earnings
- 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
This page provides general information only and is not a substitute for legal advice about your own claim, evidence, insurer decision, or time limits. Get tailored advice before accepting a disputed PIAWE rate, work capacity decision, or settlement position.
Ask for a review if second-job earnings are missing
If your insurer used only one employer's wages, ask for a fast review before more weekly underpayments build up. If a higher PIAWE is later determined, any payment adjustment depends on the applicable weekly-payment rules and the worker's circumstances.