Normally, the employee receives medical coverage for the work-related injury and the employee receives a portion of his or her wages while the employee recovers and cannot work. Generally the employee receives a portion of their average weekly wage for a period of time. In most states the employee receives 66 percent, or two-thirds, of their average weekly wage during the pendency of their time away from work recovering from the compensable injury. Keep in mind that worker compensation laws vary considerably from state to state.