Workers' Compensation Insurance

Workers’ compensation provides a safety net for you and your employees after a workplace injury. It can help cover expenses for medical treatment, lost wages, and other costs.

It’s an essential component of your small business insurance package that protects you and your employees from financial harm. You’re required to purchase coverage in most states as soon as you hire your first employee.

The workers’ compensation system was created to ensure workers are taken care of if they are hurt on the job, while also protecting business owners from significant financial losses after an accident.

For example, if a heavy beam lands on a construction worker’s foot and causes a compound fracture, workers’ compensation can cover medical expenses and lost wages during the recovery. Without insurance, the employer could be responsible for all related costs, which could add up to tens of thousands of dollars.

Workers’ compensation is not just limited to high-risk jobs. Repetitive-motion injuries (i.e., carpal tunnel), slip-and-fall accidents and strains are more common than you might think at relatively safe desk jobs.

Start an instant quote today to explore options for your business.

There are several reasons why workers’ compensation is a good investment for your business:

Because of the essential nature of workers’ compensation coverage, it is legally required in most states for businesses with employees. There can be significant penalties for non-compliance, ranging from fines to felony criminal charges in the most extreme cases.

It’s essential to know the workers’ comp requirements in the states where you do business. For example, Colorado requires coverage as soon as you hire an employee. Workers’ comp in Texas is optional, but many businesses and government contractors will ask you to have coverage.

Workers’ compensation coverage protects employees and business owners like you. Let’s say human error, equipment malfunction or just plain bad luck leads to an employee breaking his leg. He’s going to need X-rays, possibly surgery, physical therapy and several weeks of recovery until he can do his job again.

Workman’s comp insurance can help pay for all those expenses. Otherwise, the business owner would most likely be responsible for covering costs out of pocket.

Even if you are a sole proprietor, you may want to consider getting workers’ comp insurance business owners coverage. Your policy can help you in cases that aren’t covered by your health insurance. For example, your health insurance may exclude workplace accidents that would typically be covered by workers’ comp.

A trusting relationship between employers and employees can make a significant difference in productivity levels. When employees know that you have their back in both good times and bad, they are more invested in their work and focused on the job at hand.

Proving you take care of your employees will help you attract and retain the best workers in your area.

We offer a painless and seamless way for you to explore workers’ comp coverage options for your business. Simply start an instant quote, provide a few details about your operations and review your options online.

Once you purchase coverage, you’ll have instant access to your certificate of insurance 24/7 from a mobile device or computer.

Workers’ compensation coverage is almost always required if you have employees as it partially covers medical bills and lost wages for those who are injured on the job. Business owner’s coverage helps to protect yourself if you don’t have employees. 

Workers’ comp can help pay for:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Survivor benefits in the event of an employee death
• Employer liability

Learn more about what workers’ compensation insurance covers.

A common misconception about workers’ compensation is that it’s only needed when a business has employees. In fact, many self-employed workers, sole proprietors and independent contractors purchase coverage for the financial protection it provides or to meet contract requirements with clients. 

It’s required to get a license for some professions, especially in construction. For example, many states ask for proof of workers’ comp insurance with their general contractor license requirements.

If you don’t have workers’ comp and you are injured at work, you also might not be covered by your personal health insurance. It’s important to read your policy documents carefully to make sure you are protected.

If you need to quickly obtain coverage to satisfy a client, bid, or professional license requirement, you can instantly access your certificate of insurance as soon as you purchase a policy.

Workers’ comp coverage can start as low as $14 a month. Several factors are used to determine the cost of workers’ compensation insurance, including the number of employees at your business, your payroll, the location of your business and other details.

If you are exposed to more risks, you typically pay more for insurance, regardless if you’re purchasing workers’ comp coverage, general liability insurance or another type of business insurance.

That’s why there’s a significant difference between insurance costs for construction businesses and accountants. Both types of businesses face risks every day, but there’s more exposure for construction workers at job sites with raw materials, heavy machinery and power tools. 

Other factors that influence the price of your coverage:

No matter where you purchase insurance, you’ll need to share: 

• How many employees work at your business
• The type of work they do
• Your total payroll

These factors are combined with state pricing guidelines to calculate your workers’ comp costs. If most of your employees work at desk jobs, you’ll typically pay less than a business where employees work at a job site.

Workers’ compensation is highly regulated at the state level. This influences the cost of your coverage. The price you pay is determined, in part, by the state where you do business. If you have employees in multiple states, you’ll need to meet the requirements of each state.

Having a history of workers’ compensation claims and workplace injuries can affect the price of a new policy.

You can find out how much workers’ compensation will cost your business by completing a free instant quote with our easy online application. 

Once you start a quote, we’ll ask for some necessary information about your employees, payroll and operations. 

The whole process takes about 10 minutes, and our U.S.-based insurance advisors are available if you have any questions.

With NEXT, you can get covered in less than 10 minutes, 100% online.

Workers’ compensation is a bit more complicated than other types of business insurance since it is highly regulated by state governments and it requires more information about your business than other policies. 

We work hard to simplify the process with a painless and seamless online application so you can get back to focusing on your business.

The first step to getting the coverage you need is starting an instant quote. We’ll ask you some questions about your business so we can customize a policy to meet your needs.

You should be prepared to share details about:

• The type of work you do
• Where you do business
• The type of business you own and how many years you have been in business
• The number of employees at your business
• Total payroll
• The type of work your employees do
• Your federal employer identification number. You can typically find this on your tax documents, or apply for one online with the IRS.

If you have any questions about the process or your coverage options, our licensed U.S.-based insurance advisors are standing by to help.

You can also save time and up to 10% by bundling other types of business insurance with your workers’ comp policy (Note: Coverage and discount eligibility may vary from state to state).

Learn more about workers’ comp insurance laws and requirements in the following states:

Arizona

Colorado

Florida

Georgia

Illinois

Iowa

Maryland

Missouri

Nevada

Oklahoma

South Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Virginia

Learn about workers’ comp insurance with more frequently asked questions about our coverage. If you don’t find find the answers you’re looking for, our licensed insurance advisors are standing by to help.

Read more frequently asked questions about workers’ compensation.