Does PIAWE include super?
Your PIAWE calculation (otherwise known as your ‘pre injury average weekly earnings’) does not include superannuation.
This means that any superannuation you have been paid prior to your injury is not taken into account when your PIAWE is calculated.
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The PIAWE calculation is what your weekly payments are based on
If you have an accepted WorkCover claim and your ability to work has been impacted, then you will likely have an entitlement to weekly payments.
Under the Victorian WorkCover scheme, weekly payments, each worker is paid according to their PIAWE calculation.
There is not one set amount that everyone receives. Each worker receives their own PIAWE calculation.
You can read more about how PIAWE is calculated here.
In a nutshell, a person’s PIAWE is the average of their prior earnings for the period of twelve months prior to them suffering an injury.
If a person has not been employed by an employer for 12 months, then the PIAWE is calculated based on the period of time they have worked with a particular employer.
For example, if they’ve been with an employer for four months – then it’s the average of the earnings over the 4 month period that relevant.
It is based on their ordinary earnings for the hours they’ve worked.
Additionally however, PIAWE takes into account other things.
Overtime and shift allowances are included in the calculation of PIAWE – but only for the first 52 weeks that a person receives weekly payments.
As are a few other things (such as commissions and any salary sacrifice value).
There are also a number of things that are not included in the calculation of a PIAWE.
Things such as certain allowances, bonuses and loadings. And relevant to the topic of this page – superannuation.
Superannuation is paid under WorkCover, but it is not included in your PIAWE
Here’s a very simple PIAWE example:
Let’s say that prior to suffering an injury you were earning $1000 gross, week in week out.
While employed, and prior to the injury and your ability to work being impacted, you would be paid superannuation on this amount at the rate of 10.5% (from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023).
This would mean that you would be entitled to the payment of $5460 by way of superannuation contributions from your employer for one year, on top of your normal wage.
When it comes to calculating your PIAWE, keeping things simple for the purposes of this example, lets assume that $1000 gross was the only income you received and that you did not work any overtime, nor have an entitlement to any shift allowances.
Your PIAWE figure would be $1000 per week.
And you would be entitled to be paid at the rate of 95% of this figure for the first 13 weeks (being $950) and thereafter at the rate of 80% ($800).
So you can see how superannuation is not at all taken into account when determining the PIAWE figure.
Superannuation can be paid while on WorkCover
However, you can be paid superannuation while on WorkCover.
For the first 52 weeks on weekly payments, you’re not entitled to be paid superannuation.
However, after the 52 week mark, you do have an entitlement to superannuation, paid by the WorkCover insurer at the appropriate rate.
So although superannuation is not factored into PIAWE calculations, you do have an entitlement to superannuation while on WorkCover – it’s just that you miss out on the first 52 weeks while on weekly payments.
Conclusion
Superannuation payments received prior to an injury are not taken into account when calculating PIAWE (pre injury average weekly earnings).
This is the case for all employees – whether full time, part time, casual or otherwise.
While superannuation is not factored into PIAWE calculations, a person does have an entitlement for weekly payments to be paid by the WorkCover insurer after 52 weeks on WorkCover payments have elapsed.