Governor Jay Inslee just lately signed two payments impacting Washington employees’ compensation time-loss funds and stay-at-work reimbursements:
HB 1927: Permits injured employees who’re unable to work for 7 days or extra (as a substitute of the present customary of 14 days or extra) to obtain time loss funds for the primary 3 days of labor missed because of their harm. The impression of this invoice will in the end improve the price of time loss funds for employers, since many extra injured employees will qualify for time-loss funds for the primary 3 workdays missed after an harm. The efficient date for this invoice is July 1, 2025.
HB 2127: Will increase monetary incentives, equivalent to stay-at-work reimbursements, to encourage employers to return injured employees to light-duty job positions. The size of time stay-at-work reimbursements can be found below this invoice will likely be 120 workdays (up from 66 workdays), and reimbursable wages will likely be $25,000 (up from $10,000). Numerous classes of eligible reimbursements will even improve: tuition, books, charges, and supplies required for coaching or instruction will likely be $2,000 (up from $1,000); clothes will likely be $1,000 (up from $400); instruments and gear will likely be $5,000 (up from $2,500); and the office lodging allowance will likely be $10,000 (up from $5,000). The efficient date for this invoice is January 1, 2025.
Ideas: The significance of early return-to-work and kept-on-salary applications turns into much more related with the passage of those two payments. First, returning injured employees to a lightweight responsibility place is not going to solely assist scale back the whole variety of time-loss days (if you will get them again to work inside 7 days of the harm), but in addition improve the monetary reimbursement incentives it’s possible you’ll be eligible to obtain by way of the stay-at-work program. Second, with the fast turnaround wanted to keep away from time loss funds for the primary 3 days of a employee’s harm, it’s best to develop written mild responsibility job descriptions that may be deployed immediately. Your assigned Vigilant Washington employees’ comp claims supervisor can level you in the suitable course; contact us for assist constructing your mild responsibility program.
