Workers’ Compensation Insurance Explained

Answers to Common Questions & Service Options from EMPLOYERS®

EMPLOYERS is America’s premier small business workers’ compensation insurer.^TM With operations from coast to coast, our goal is to provide targeted insurance solutions for independent, entrepreneurial companies. With roots stretching back to 1913, EMPLOYERS has the experience, financial stability, knowledge and resources to provide the coverage and specialized services that America’s small businesses need.

What is workers’ comp insurance and how does it work?

Workers’ compensation insurance is a strategic investment that protects business owners, as well as a business’ most important asset: its employees, in the event of a work-related injury or occupational disease. Also referred to as workers’ comp insurance or workman’s comp, workers’ compensation insurance covers all reasonable and necessary medical treatment and lost wages for employees who get injured in the course and scope of their employment or experience an occupational disease. The benefits for employees and employers vary from state to state.

Workers Comp Benefits for the Employee

Workers’ comp benefits include employee compensation for lost wages, medical treatment, and death benefits payable to the dependents of workers killed in the course of employment. These benefits also help cover expenses related to ongoing medical treatment like follow-up appointments or a physical therapy regimen. However, these policies generally do not include damages for pain and suffering or punitive damages for employer negligence.

Policy Benefits for the Employer

Workers’ compensation insurance helps protect employers from potential lawsuits. Some workers’ compensation insurers also provide value added benefits such as fraud prevention support, workplace safety tools, and managed care services, which can help injured workers experience minimal downtime.

As America’s small business insurance specialist^®, EMPLOYERS provides cost-effective small business workers’ comp insurance in 30+ low-to-medium-hazard industries across 46 states and the District of Columbia. Employers also provides small business resources to help small business owners protect and grow their businesses. The Employers Small Business Resource Center offers tips and suggestions for managing a business, sorted by industry.

Business Owners Questions and Answers

Do I need workers’ compensation insurance for my small business?

Most states require employers to provide workers’ compensation insurance for their employees. Workers’ Compensation Insurance laws and requirements vary by state, so you should check the laws in the state(s) where you do business for specific information (see links to state departments of insurance at the bottom of this page).

How much will workers’ compensation cost for my business?

The cost of workers’ compensation insurance varies depending on a number of factors. The factors that typically have the largest impact on premium are the type of business (or risk) and the business’s annual payroll, but premium can also be affected by prior claims history and a number of other factors. We can put you in touch with an appointed agent to determine what a business like yours should be paying for its workers’ compensation insurance.

What penalties can be assessed for failure to meet a workers’ compensation coverage requirement?

Penalties vary by state, but may include fines, criminal charges, and even jail time. For additional information, check the laws of the state(s) where you do business (links below). In addition to state administrative or criminal penalties, employers who fail to maintain workers’ compensation insurance coverage leave their businesses exposed to potential lawsuits.

For more than a century, EMPLOYERS has remained focused on keeping America’s Main Street businesses not only working but working safely. For more insights and tips related to workers’ compensation insurance, visit our blog.

How to get workers’ compensation insurance with EMPLOYERS

At EMPLOYERS, we have long-standing relationships with insurance agencies and agents across 46 states and the District of Columbia. We offer more than 100 years of experience helping small businesses and a fast, efficient Claims service. Our 24/7, multi-lingual claim reporting center provides prompt service to injured employees, while our claim adjusters help you control your claim cost by working with the injured worker and physicians to help evaluate and administer the appropriate care.

Get connected with an agent for complete details or read more below.

EMPLOYERS takes a personal approach, to help small businesses when they need it most:

Fraud Prevention – We know workers’ compensation fraud is a serious risk to policyholders and injured workers, which is why we have a team of dedicated anti-fraud experts with expertise in investigating and reporting cases of suspected insurance fraud and collaborating with state and local law enforcement to achieve positive results.
Loss Control Services – To help reduce workplace injuries that could lead to potential claims and higher premiums, we provide a variety of resources to help policyholders promote a culture of safety and improve job safety performance, at no additional cost.
Managed Care Services – As part of helping to minimize downtime and costs for injured workers and our policyholders, we work with healthcare providers, expert physician advisors, nurses, and other experienced care management staff to promote quality patient care.
Premium Audit Services – We strive to make the premium audit process more manageable for our policyholders and offer different audit types to help fit the size, location and industry of your business. This is paired with a knowledgeable in-house staff to field questions and requests.
Return-to-Work Program – We work closely with policyholders, injured employees and their physicians to help get employees back to work as quickly as their medical condition allows. This might include short-term work assignments for employees who have temporary medical restrictions that cannot be accommodated by their employer.
PrecisePay® – To help improve cash flow and save you time, our PrecisePay pay-as-you-go program allows policyholders to make smaller, more frequent premium payments by paying each payroll period through the EMPLOYERS EACCESS^® policyholder portal.

To get started, call our Customer Service team or send us a message and we’ll put you in touch with a local EMPLOYERS-appointed agent who can help.