Calculating 'Duration'

The duration of incapacity, as well as being used to calculate the total liability, or full amount of compensation payable for a given period of incapacity, is also used for the 45 weeks calculation. (see part 3 of this volume)

While the duration of incapacity is automatically determined on PRACSYS, it is also useful to know how to manually calculate it.

Changing minutes to decimal hours - (minutes  ÷  60)

Example

45 minutes

45  ÷  60  =  0.75 hours

Changing hours to decimal weeks - (hours  ÷  standard hours/week)

Example

10 hours as a decimal of a standard 36 and .75 week

10  ÷  36.75  =  0.272 weeks

So, using the above explanations, to change 1 week, 32 hours and 45 minutes to a decimal of a 40 hour week:

Minutes to decimal hours (or minutes ÷  60)

45  ÷   60  =  0.75 hours

Hours to decimal weeks (or hours ÷  standard hours per week)

32.75  ÷  40

=  0.819 weeks

+ 1 week  =  1.819 weeks

The employer is responsible for providing Comcare with details about the duration of an employee's incapacity.

Source URL: https://clik.dva.gov.au/military-compensation-reference-library/historical-information/comcare-operations-manual/volume-ten-incapacity-payments/part-one-introduction/defining-incapacity/calculating-duration