Workers compensation guides.
Practical answers for the everyday business of protecting your people. Each guide links to the official agencies and rules behind it.
Start here
Workers comp, without the jargon
What workers compensation covers, who it protects, how it is regulated, and where a small business should start.
Workers comp requirements by state
When each state requires coverage, the states with special rules, and where to find each state's official agency.
Workers comp benefits explained
The types of benefits an injured worker can get, how wage benefits are figured, and why it matters to employers.
Workers comp vs. general liability and other insurance
What workers comp covers compared with general liability, employer's liability, disability, and health insurance.
Cost and coverage
How payroll and class codes affect cost
The basic premium formula, how class codes work, what counts as payroll, and how to avoid a surprise bill.
Workers comp EMR: what it is and how it affects your cost
What a workers comp EMR (experience modification rate) is, how it raises or lowers your premium, what counts as a good EMR, how to find yours, and how to bring it down.
Experience mod rating by state: how it is calculated
A deeper look at the mod rating formula, which years count, who qualifies, which rating bureau runs your state, and how to check or fix your mod.
Workers comp premium audit: what it is and how to prepare
What a workers comp premium audit is, when it happens, the records to have ready, how payroll and class code changes move your final premium, and how to dispute the result.
Ways to lower your workers comp costs
Practical, legal steps to bring premiums down: correct codes, fewer claims, return to work, and state credits.
Can't find coverage? The assigned risk market
What to do if insurers turn you down, how state assigned risk plans work, and how to move back to a regular policy.
State funds, monopolistic states, and self-insurance
The different ways to meet your coverage duty, from private policies to state funds and self-insured programs.
Monopolistic workers comp states: ND, OH, WA, and WY
The four states where you must buy workers comp from the state, how coverage and rates work there, stop gap coverage, and what to do when workers cross state lines.
Workers comp limits: statutory coverage and employer's liability limits
Why workers comp has no dollar limit, what 100/500/100 employer's liability limits mean, when to raise them to $1 million, stop gap coverage, and how state benefit maximums work.
Who needs coverage
Employee or independent contractor?
How states decide who is an employee for workers comp, the common tests, and the cost of getting it wrong.
Do owners, officers, and family members need coverage?
How sole proprietors, partners, LLC members, corporate officers, and relatives are treated under workers comp.
Subcontractors and certificates of insurance
Why general contractors can be on the hook for a subcontractor's injured workers, and how to protect yourself.
Workers comp for subcontractors: who needs it and who pays
Do subcontractors need workers' comp, when the general contractor has to pay for an uninsured sub's injured workers, how uninsured subs show up at audit, and how the rules differ by state.
Remote workers and employees in more than one state
How to cover remote employees, traveling crews, and work in other states without leaving a gap.
Federal workers comp: maritime, overseas, and federal jobs
When federal laws like the Longshore Act, Defense Base Act, or Jones Act apply instead of, or along with, state law.
What happens if you don't have workers comp?
The fines, stop-work orders, lawsuits, and claim costs a business can face when it goes without required coverage.
Business checklists
Before you buy: a coverage checklist
A step-by-step list to make your first conversation with an agent count, compare quotes fairly, and avoid gaps.
Required workers comp posters and notices
Which notices you must post or hand out, where they come from, and how to keep them current.
OSHA injury records and reporting
How OSHA's rules for injury logs and severe injury reports work alongside your workers comp claim duties.
Claims and safety
What to do when an employee is injured
The first steps after a work injury: getting care, reporting to your insurer and OSHA, and keeping good records.
Return to work and light duty programs
How offering modified work helps injured employees recover, lowers claim costs, and what rules to follow.
Workers comp, the ADA, and FMLA leave
How federal disability and leave laws overlap with a workers comp claim, and common mistakes to avoid.
Workers comp fraud: what employers should know
The common types of workers comp fraud, warning signs on claims, and the premium fraud that gets employers in trouble.
Build a simple workplace safety program
A small business plan for preventing injuries, using free OSHA help, and earning lower workers comp costs over time.