Minnesota workers' comp glossary
TPD (Temporary Partial Disability)
Weekly benefits when a Minnesota worker is back at work but earning less because of the injury: two-thirds of the difference between pre-injury AWW and current earnings.
Temporary partial disability fills part of the gap when you are working light duty, reduced hours, or a lower-paying job because of your injury. The formula under Minn. Stat. § 176.101, subd. 2 is two-thirds of the difference between your average weekly wage and what you currently earn.
Eligibility has structure: you must actually be working, the wage loss must be causally related to the injury, and for recent injuries TPD is payable up to 275 weeks and ends 450 weeks after the date of injury. The benefit recalculates with your earnings, so weeks with overtime pay less TPD and short weeks pay more.
TPD disputes usually center on earning capacity: whether your reduced earnings reflect the injury or the job market, and whether a particular job’s wages fairly measure what you can earn. Keep every paystub; TPD is the benefit where payroll records decide fights.
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General information, not legal advice. Reviewed by Daniel C. Swenson, Minnesota workers' compensation attorney, Robert Wilson & Associates.