Statutory benefits
Medical treatment, wage replacement, and disability benefits set by state law rather than by the policy. Because benefits are statutory, carriers compete on service, claims handling, and pricing rather than on coverage terms.
Employee injuries
The policy that pays before fault is decided.
We help employers get worker classifications, payroll, claims, and return-to-work planning right—because those details drive protection and long-term cost.
What this covers
The pieces that decide what you pay.
Workers' compensation is one of the few coverages where operational discipline shows up directly in the premium.
Classification codes
Every employee's payroll is assigned to a class code, and rates vary enormously between them. Misclassification is common, expensive, and correctable — an office employee coded as field labor inflates the premium every single term until someone checks.
Experience modification
A multiplier built from your claim history relative to businesses of your size and type. Frequency of small claims typically hurts the mod more than a single large one. Because it follows the business for years, the mod is where good safety practice compounds.
Return to work
The single most effective lever most employers have. A documented light-duty program shortens claims, reduces indemnity costs, and protects the experience mod. It also tends to produce better outcomes for the injured employee, which is the point.
Employers liability
The part of the policy that responds to injury suits falling outside the statutory system — third-party-over actions and similar claims. Limits here are often left at default and are worth coordinating with the umbrella.
State-specific programs
Several states run their own systems with their own opportunities. Ohio's Bureau of Workers' Compensation, for example, offers group rating and group retrospective programs that can reduce premium meaningfully for employers with good loss history. Eligibility windows are firm, and missing one costs a full year.
Typically included
What we manage alongside the policy.
The policy is the easy part; these are what change the number.
Class code auditExperience modification reviewPayroll estimate accuracyReturn-to-work programClaim reporting processCertificates for contractsEmployers liability limitsState program eligibilityAudit preparationNot sure? Ask us
Where policies fall short
Where employers lose money on comp.
Rarely on the rate. Almost always on the management.
Payroll classified into the wrong codes
Clerical staff rated as field employees, or a mix of duties assigned entirely to the higher-rated code. Corrections can sometimes reach back, but only if someone looks.
Small claims left to run long
Frequency drives the experience mod. A handful of minor claims handled slowly can affect pricing for three years.
No light-duty program
Without documented light duty, an employee who could be working stays out, indemnity accrues, and the claim's cost multiplies.
Uninsured subcontractors
An uninsured sub's injured worker can land on your policy at audit. Collecting certificates before work starts is far cheaper than discovering the gap afterward.
Missing a state program deadline
Group rating and similar programs have hard enrollment windows. Missing one is a full year of savings gone with no way to recover it.
Common questions
Workers' compensation questions.
What employers ask, especially the first time.
Do I need workers' comp for one part-time employee?
In most states, yes — thresholds are low and often count any employee at all. Requirements vary by state and by entity type, and owners and officers are sometimes treated differently from employees. It is worth confirming rather than assuming.
What is an experience modification factor?
A multiplier applied to your premium based on how your claim history compares to similar businesses. Below 1.0 means better than average and reduces premium; above 1.0 increases it. It is calculated from a rolling multi-year window, so improvements take time to show and problems persist.
Are subcontractors covered under my policy?
They should carry their own. If they do not, their payroll can be added to yours at audit and their injured workers may become your claims. Collecting certificates of insurance before work begins is one of the highest-return habits a contractor can build.
What happens at the annual audit?
The carrier reconciles estimated payroll against actual and adjusts the premium. Underestimating payroll produces a large bill at audit; overestimating ties up cash all year. Keeping the estimate current is a small habit that avoids an unpleasant surprise.
Our review
What we review on workers' compensation.
Class codes against actual duties
Experience modification worksheet for errors
Payroll estimates versus actual
Open claims and their reserves
Return-to-work documentation
Subcontractor certificates on file
Employers liability limits and umbrella coordination
State program eligibility and enrollment dates
Most comp savings come from the file, not the quote.
Let us look at the class codes and the mod worksheet before your renewal date.