Weymouth Massachusetts Workers' Compensation

Regardless of the type of business they work for, employees sometimes get injured on the job. In fact, the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents processes more than 50,000 workers’ compensation insurance claims every year.

Independent insurance agents in Weymouth can help you find the best and most affordable workers’ compensation policy to cover your employees. Contact an insurance agent near you to get started.

What Is Workers’ Compensation Insurance?

Worker’s compensation insurance, or “workers’ comp,” is an insurance policy that is designed to cover the treatment of workplace injuries and occupational illnesses and to ensure that injured employees do not face undue financial stress as a result.

Is Workers’ Compensation Insurance Required in Weymouth, MA?

Virtually all employers in Weymouth are required by law to carry worker’s compensation insurance. Massachusetts mandates that you must have this coverage if you employ at least one full- or part-time worker.

Exceptions are made only for these workers

• Domestic servants who work fewer than 16 hours a week
• Sole proprietors, partners, and LLC members who are not considered employees

Out-of-state employers are also required to carry a workers’ compensation policy for their in-state employees. This insurance must be purchased from an insurance company that is licensed to provide workers’ compensation in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Failure to carry this required coverage is illegal and can result in fines and jail time for the company owners. Additionally, your company can be issued a Stop-Work order and fined $100 a day, including weekends and holidays, until coverage is obtained and all fines are paid in full.

How Much Does Workers’ Compensation Insurance Cost in Weymouth?

If you are a Weymouth business owner looking for an affordable workers’ compensation policy, you will be happy to learn that rates in Massachusetts are among the lowest in the United States.

Your premiums will be based mainly on the number of employees you have, how much they are paid, and how likely they are to be injured on the job. Your company’s safety record and claims history can also play a role in how high or low your rates are.  

Massachusetts is what is known as an “Independent Bureau State.” This means that it regulates its own workers' compensation rates outside of the NCCI. Every different occupation is assigned a classification code, and the coverage rates for each of these class codes are managed by the Workers’ Compensation Rating and Inspection Bureau of Massachusetts (WCRIBMA).

Insurance companies are required to use these designated base rates when calculating costs, but they are allowed to maintain a competitive edge by offering discounts and credits at their discretion. That is why shopping around for the best rate can save your business money.

Base rate examples

The more likely a worker is to be seriously injured on the job, the higher the rates for workers’ compensation insurance will be. Let’s take a look at the average rates paid per every $50,000 in employee payroll for three very different jobs that can be found in Weymouth, MA.

• Masonry construction worker: $4,465 a year
• Landscapers: $1,570 a year
• Sales professionals: $25 a year

As you can see, it costs far more to cover a construction worker than it does to cover a sales professional who may work in an office or retail setting because the risk of significant injury is far greater for those in the construction industry.

The only way to find out how much a workers’ compensation policy will cost for your business is to contact a few competing insurance companies and request customized quotes. A local independent insurance agent can save you time by doing this on your behalf.

What Are Experience Modifiers and How Do They Work?

Experience modifiers (“experience mods”) help or hurt your insurance rates according to how your company’s safety record compares to other businesses that operate in the same field.

In Massachusetts, your business will qualify for an experience mod if it has spent more than $11,000 on workers’ compensation premiums over the last two years. If your company qualifies for an experience modifier, it must be used when calculating your rates. This rate is updated annually.

The experience modification factor is a number ranging from 0 to 2. If your company’s safety record is comparable to the average record for businesses in your industry sector, your factor will be 1. If your safety record is better, it will be less than one, and if worse, it will be greater than 1.

Therefore, if your company has a very solid safety rating and your modification factor is .75, your company will be assessed at 75% of the workers’ compensation base rate for each job. So, for example, the base rate for the masonry construction worker mentioned above would drop from $4,465 to $3,348.75.

However, if your company’s safety record isn’t very good and you’ve experienced a number of serious employee injuries in the past couple of years, your rating is likely to be higher than one. If, for instance, your rating is 1.25 and you employ the masonry construction worker mentioned above, your base rate for that worker would go from $4,465 to $5,581.25.

That is why maintaining a good safety record is so important.

Save on Workers' Comp Insurance

Our independent agents shop around to find you the best coverage.

Request a Quote

What Does Weymouth Workers’ Compensation Insurance Cover?

You can expect your workers’ compensation policy to cover the following.

• Medical treatments: Workers’ compensation covers all costs for necessary medical treatments related to worker injuries and occupational illnesses. This includes any associated ambulance rides, follow-up care, medications, physical therapy, and other treatments.
• Travel reimbursement: Workers’ comp insurance can reimburse employees for miles driven to and from medical appointments and the pharmacy. In Massachusetts, mileage reimbursement rates are currently set at 45 cents per mile.
• Temporary total disability: If a worker needs time off to recuperate from a work-related illness or injury, they will be able to collect a weekly benefit of 60% of their average pay until they are released to return to work. Employees are not paid for the first six days of disability unless their recuperation takes longer than 21 days. Temporary disability benefits can be collected for up to 156 weeks.
• Temporary partial disability: If an employee’s injury enables them to return to work but in a limited capacity or for limited hours, workers’ compensation can make up 75% of the difference from what they are earning while partially disabled and what they were earning prior to the injury. This benefit can last for up to 260 weeks.
• Permanent disability: If a work-related injury is so severe that the injured worker will be unable to ever return to their job, workers’ compensation insurance can provide them with a weekly benefit of two-third of their average wage until they no longer considered disabled. This benefit includes annual cost-of-living increases.
• Death benefits: If a work-related injury or illness is fatal, workers’ compensation can cover burial expenses and provide the employee’s spouse and dependents with two-thirds of the employee’s average weekly pay until the spouse remarries. If a spouse remarries, dependent children can receive $60 a week for as long as they qualify as dependents.

Weekly disability benefits cannot exceed Massachusetts’ average weekly pay, which is updated annually. As of October 1, 2020, the maximum weekly benefit is set at $1,487.78.

You can learn more about what workers’ compensation insurance can cover by speaking with an independent insurance agent in Weymouth.

What Does Weymouth Workers’ Compensation Not Cover?

Your workers’ compensation insurance company is likely to deny your claim if there is reason to believe that it falls outside what this insurance will cover. For instance, the following are typically excluded from workers’ compensation coverage.

• Injuries that were intentionally self-inflicted.
• Injuries that occurred outside of working hours.
• Injuries and illnesses that are related to pre-existing conditions.
• Injuries sustained while committing a crime.
• Injuries sustained while the employee was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
• Injuries sustained by someone who was not an official employee of the company at the time of the accident.

If you believe your workers’ compensation claim was unjustly denied, you can appeal the decision by petitioning the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents.

Where Can Weymouth Business Owners Purchase Workers’ Compensation Insurance?

There are several private insurance companies that are authorized to sell workers’ compensation insurance in Massachusetts. Most businesses in Weymouth purchase their coverage through one of these commercial providers.

Sometimes companies with very high risks or poor safety records may find it impossible to find an insurance company willing to cover them. In this case, they can purchase their coverage through the Workers’ Compensation Rating and Inspection Bureau of Massachusetts (WCRIBMA). These policies will cost more than policies offered through private insurers, but the coverage is guaranteed.

Alternatively, your company may choose to self-insure. In order to do this, you will need to apply for approval and demonstrate that your business has the financial means to cover worker injuries and disability payments.

How to Find the Best Workers’ Compensation Insurance in Weymouth, MA

If you are looking for the most affordable workers’ compensation policy to cover your Weymouth business, look no further than a local independent agent. These agents can help you obtain and review customized quotes from a variety of insurance providers that specialize in covering businesses like yours. That way, you can certain you are getting the coverage you need at the most competitive price.

Discover how easy it can be to find an affordable workers’ compensation policy for your business. Contact an insurance agent near you to arrange an obligation-free consultation.