Washington Labor and Industries
Information regarding Washington's monopolistic Workers Comp program.
The purpose of this article is to provide information regarding the Washington Workers Comp Program.
Washington State workers' compensation, also called industrial insurance, is managed by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). Washington is a monopolistic state fund system, meaning employers must buy coverage directly through the state rather than from private insurance companies. Most employers with even one employee must carry this coverage. The program covers approved medical care, partial wage replacement, permanent partial or total disability awards, and vocational rehabilitation.
Employdrive administers this liability on behalf of our clients, but we cannot manage associated claims or assigned risk classes. In order to administer this liability the following must be provided:
- Unified Business Identifier Number
- Labor & Industries Account ID
- Participant Activation Code
- Third Party Administrator Access (TPA)
Risk Classification
Risk classification is a method for grouping risks with similar characteristics to set insurance rates. Washington has developed its own risk classification system that is based on the degree of hazard for each occupation or industry and tailored to Washington's businesses and industries. L&I assigns every employer one or more risk classifications based on the nature of their business. Each risk classification has separate base premium rates that apply to the employers and workers in that classification. As a result, employers and workers in more hazardous industries (more frequent and severe injuries, higher claims costs) generally have higher premium rates than employers and workers in less hazardous industries. The base rate for each risk class is the same, but may be adjusted by an experience factor depending on the employer claim history.
If new Risk Classifications need to be added to your account you can contact your Workers' Comp Account Representative. If you do not know your representative you can find their contact information on the WA L&I Contractors site, by searching for your company and reviewing the Workers' Comp Information Section.
Visit WA LNI to review the risk classes available for Temporary Staffing firms.
Rates
Once Employdrive has been designated as your TPA for WA L&I we will begin to update your EE and ER rates within isolved via bulk rate update from the agency.The WA L&I rates are administered via the Workers Comp Rates screen in isolved and are updated quarterly. If Employdrive has not been designated as your TPA you will need to forward your annual WA L&I premium rate computation notice once received.
Assigning Workers' Comp Codes
Workers' Comp codes may be assigned to EE's by assigning the appropriate code to the Job or on the EE's individual record.
- To assign the code based on Job:
- Within isolved navigate to Client Management / Job / Jobs
- Select the appropriate Job from the list and select the pencil icon to edit the Job.
- In the Regulatory Options section select the appropriate Workers' Comp code from the list of available options.
- Assign the Job to the EE's record.
- To assign the code directly on the EE's record:
- Within isolved navigate to Employee Management / Employee Maintenance / Jobs
- Select the appropriate EE from the list and select the pencil icon to edit the Job Details.
- In the Workers' Compensation section select the appropriate Workers' Comp code from the list of available options.
If the appropriate Workers' Comp Code is not available, please contact support to have the code added.