Workers Comp Payroll Reporting Reprieve
The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (“WCIRB”) recently proposed the following employer reporting changes:
- Allow the assignment of Classification 8810, Clerical Office Employees, while the California stay-at-home order is in place and for thirty days thereafter, for employees whose reassigned job duties meet the definition of Clerical Office Employees and who are not assigned to a classification that already includes Clerical Office Employees.
- For employees who continue to be paid while they are not performing any duties of any kind in the service of the employer, such payments would be excluded from payroll during the time the California stay-at-home order is in place and for thirty days thereafter.
- Coronavirus workers’ compensation claims would be reported under a Catastrophe code and would be excluded from an individual employer’s experience modification calculations.
This change is because of the unprecedented nature of this pandemic and the fact that the occurrence of Coronavirus workers’ compensation claims are not likely a strong predictor of future claim costs incurred by an employer. They will not be part of the Employer’s experience modification ratings.
The WCIRB proposed reporting changes resulted from the altered duties of employees working from home. These changes should result in reduction in premium costs. A little bit of good news…
Please feel free to contact Dawn with any questions: dcoulson@eppscoulson.com.