Workers comp

[TreeGuyHR]

In this area you need to be licensed in order to do any residental work. So in order to get that license you have to have insurance. But as others have said there are ways to say you have no employees. But the real enforcement comes when one of your "independent contractors" or illegals gets hurt and the ER asks them if they got hurt on the job.

With all due respect to Blakesmaster, a contractor would be nuts not to have it. At this point in my business career (5 yr. owner/manager), it would seem that i would have to lie to customers, lie to the CCB (state contractor's board), cities and counties, and others. Plus keep two sets of books. Plus talk employees out of making claims, and either paying out of pocket for care or encouraging them NOT to go to the ER, doctor, or physical therapist. All done to undercut my competitors who are legitimate and bear the extra cost?

So, when the hammer falls (enforcement action), a contractor that did all this would not only have to pay back WC fees but probably penalties and lose his license. Maybe even additional legal trouble if a worker ended up with a disability that could have been prevented due to untreated injury. I would have enough stress without worrying about that.

I have #####ed and moaned here about getting audited by SAIF (OR non-profit company that handles WC). The fact that the auditor and SAIF are claiming I owe a bunch of money is mainly my fault -- I should have been more aware about rates for different job codes, and assigned employees accordingly, split up jobs into components(or just gotten them done more efficiently), and bid accordingly. Now I know. I also spent 25 hrs of my own time putting together a 12 page spread sheet for 7 part time employees I had in 2012 that shows I owe about $1500 less. (SAIF lumped ALL employee hrs in the highest category, "tree worker, at $14.85 per $100 of employee pay) I am going to claim the lower amount even if it goes to court and I have to represent myself. Because I know I have done everything as well as I could in good faith.

 

[Blakesmaster]

With all due respect to Blakesmaster, a contractor would be nuts not to have it. At this point in my business career (5 yr. owner/manager), it would seem that i would have to lie to customers, lie to the CCB (state contractor's board), cities and counties, and others. Plus keep two sets of books. Plus talk employees out of making claims, and either paying out of pocket for care or encouraging them NOT to go to the ER, doctor, or physical therapist. All done to undercut my competitors who are legitimate and bear the extra cost?

So, when the hammer falls (enforcement action), a contractor that did all this would not only have to pay back WC fees but probably penalties and lose his license. Maybe even additional legal trouble if a worker ended up with a disability that could have been prevented due to untreated injury. I would have enough stress without worrying about that.

I have #####ed and moaned here about getting audited by SAIF (OR non-profit company that handles WC). The fact that the auditor and SAIF are claiming I owe a bunch of money is mainly my fault -- I should have been more aware about rates for different job codes, and assigned employees accordingly, split up jobs into components(or just gotten them done more efficiently), and bid accordingly. Now I know. I also spent 25 hrs of my own time putting together a 12 page spread sheet for 7 part time employees I had in 2012 that shows I owe about $1500 less. (SAIF lumped ALL employee hrs in the highest category, "tree worker, at $14.85 per $100 of employee pay) I am going to claim the lower amount even if it goes to court and I have to represent myself. Because I know I have done everything as well as I could in good faith.

The #### you bringing my name into this for?

 

[TreeGuyHR]

The #### you bringing my name into this for?

My mistake. I thought you said you DIDN'T have WC. Reading comprehension problem on my part. Sorry