The Washington state Department of Labor & Industries is proposing a 4.8 percent increase in the average price employers and workers pay for workers’ compensation insurance next year.
If adopted, the increase would mean employers and workers would jointly pay an additional $61 a year, on average, for each full-time employee within a business.
Employers and workers pay into the workers’ compensation system to help cover the cost of providing wage and disability benefits for injured workers, as well as medical treatment of workplace injuries and illnesses.
Workers will continue to pay on average about a quarter of the premium, a similar percentage to that paid in 2022.
Public hearings are scheduled for 10 a.m. on October 26th and October 27th to take input on the rate proposal before a final decision is made. To support social distancing, the public hearings will be held virtually.
Final rates will be adopted on November 30th and go into effect January 1st, 2023.
