Washington Department of Labor & Industries proposes workers’ compensation rate increase

Employers and workers may soon be paying more for workers’ compensation insurance after the Washington Department of Labor & Industries proposed a 4.8 percent rate increase.

If adopted, the department said the rate increase would result in employers and employees jointly paying an additional $61 a year, on average, for a full-time employee within a business.

Workers would continue to pay on average about a quarter of the program’s premium, which is like what was paid in 2022.

The department said in a statement that it “will use contingency reserves to cover any gap between premiums and costs to keep rates steady and avoid a larger increase.”

The department said the cost for providing the insurance has gone up, because of wage inflation and the increasing cost of medical care.

People are encouraged to submit comments in writing to: Jo Anne Attwood, administrative regulations analyst, P.O. Box 41448, Olympia, WA, 98504-4148; or email JoAnne.Attwood@Lni.wa.gov.

All comments must be received by 5 p.m. Oct. 28.

More information about the proposal is available at www.Lni.wa.gov/2023Rates.