Workers Compensation
The workers comp system, employers liability, experience mods, and waivers of subrogation.
Guides
Workers' Comp Insurance Cost in California (2026)California employers paid an average $1.56 per $100 of payroll for workers' comp in 2025, and rates rose 6.6% in 2026. How your premium is figured.September 28, 2026
California Workers' Comp Class Codes: How WCIRB Classifications Work (2026)How California assigns workers' comp class codes through the WCIRB instead of NCCI, the 8810 and 8742 standard exceptions, a table of construction codes with the September 1, 2026 dual wage thresholds, and how to check and appeal your classification.September 23, 2026
Workers' Comp Exemption in California: Who Is Exempt, the CSLB Form, and the 2028 Contractor RuleWho must carry workers' comp in California under Labor Code 3700, who is excluded or can waive coverage (sole owners, officers, partners, LLC managers, household workers), how the CSLB exemption works, what changes for contractors on January 1, 2028, and the penalties for going uninsured.September 23, 2026
Workers Comp Ghost Policy: What It Is, What It Costs, and the TrapsA workers comp ghost policy satisfies certificate requests while covering nobody. What it costs, when it backfires, and California's shifting deadline.August 8, 2026
Employers Liability Insurance: Part Two of Workers CompEmployers liability is Part Two of the workers comp policy. What it covers, the $100,000/$500,000/$100,000 standard limits, exclusions and stop gap.July 16, 2026
Experience Modification Rate (EMR): What It CostsYour experience mod multiplies your workers comp premium. What a 1.25 mod costs, why small claims move it most, and how to get errors fixed.July 10, 2026
Monopolistic States for Workers Comp: Placement GuideNorth Dakota, Ohio, Washington and Wyoming sell workers comp only through state funds. Items 3.A and 3.C, the employers liability gap and stop gap coverage.July 10, 2026
Workers Comp Audit: What Happens and What You OweA workers comp audit replaces your estimated premium with the final one. What it checks, why uninsured subs and miscoded payroll raise it, how to dispute.July 10, 2026
Workers Compensation Insurance: A Guide for EmployersHow workers comp works: Part One pays the benefits your state requires, Part Two covers employers liability suits, and how class codes and mods set premium.July 9, 2026
Related forms
Browse form references →ACORD 130Workers Compensation ApplicationWhat the ACORD 130 workers compensation application asks, how class codes and payroll estimates set premium, and how officer elections and the mod work.ACORD 133Workers Compensation Insurance Plan - Assigned Risk SectionLearn when ACORD 133 accompanies a workers compensation assigned-risk application and what employers should verify before submission.ACORD 135State-Specific Workers Compensation Plan FormACORD 135 is not one countrywide form. Learn how ACORD 135 NC and ACORD 135 NJ serve different workers compensation plan purposes.WC 00 03 13Waiver of Our Right to Recover from Others EndorsementWhat the WC 00 03 13 waiver of subrogation endorsement does, why construction contracts demand it, and what it costs to add to a workers compensation policy.