Average annual wage means 12 times the average monthly wage of a covered Part E employee for the 36 months preceding the month during which he or she first experienced wage-loss due to exposure to a toxic substance at a DOE facility or RECA section 5 facility (referred to as the “trigger month”), excluding any months during which the employee was unemployed. Because being “retired” is not equivalent to being “unemployed,” months during which an employee had no wages because he or she was retired will not be excluded from this calculation.

Month during which the employee was unemployed means any month during which the covered Part E employee had $250 (in constant 2013 dollars) or less in wages unless the month is one during which the employee was retired.

Quarter during which the employee was unemployed means any quarter during which the covered Part E employee had $750 (in constant 2013 dollars) or less in wages unless the quarter is one during which the employee was retired.

Trigger month means the calendar month during which the employee first experienced a loss in wages due to exposure to a toxic substance at a DOE facility or RECA section 5 facility.

Wages mean all monetary payments that the covered Part E employee earns from his or her regular employment or services that are taxed as income by the Internal Revenue Service. Salaries, overtime compensation, sick leave, vacation leave, tips, and bonuses received for employment services are considered wages under this subpart. However, capital gains, IRA distributions, pensions, annuities, unemployment compensation, state workers' compensation benefits, medical retirement benefits, and Social Security benefits are not considered wages.