If a retired employee working as a reserve police officer gets injured, how should their temporary and permanent disability benefits be calculated?

When a retired employee, such as a reserve police officer, suffers an injury while on duty, calculating their temporary and permanent disability benefits often follows specific guidelines established in California workers' compensation law. The correct approach, which aligns with the choice indicating that the maximum should be applied for both types of benefits, is based on the consideration that the retired individual is essentially being treated as an active participant in their role as a reserve officer.

In California, temporary disability benefits are generally calculated based on the employee's average earnings, and the maximum benefit is determined by the state's compensation rates for workers' compensation. For permanent disability benefits, the determination similarly leans towards maximizing the available benefits to properly compensate for the impairment and its impact on future earnings. Since the reserve police officer is actively engaged in work, even though they are technically retired, the law supports maximizing their disability benefits, recognizing the inherent risks and responsibilities tied to their role.

Other options, such as calculating benefits at a minimum rate or a fixed rate based on job history, do not adequately reflect the unique circumstances surrounding a reserve officer's injury status and the typical compensation framework provided by the workers' compensation system for active participants. Thus, ensuring that benefits are calculated at the maximum rate for both temporary and permanent disability