Labor and Industries (L&I) recently proposed premium base rates for the upcoming 2024 calendar year and will be adopting final rates any day. While their press release cites a 4.9% increase, this is an average across all risk classes and could be higher or lower for your company. Now is a great time to ask yourself if there is more you could be doing to lower your premium rates in the future.
The key to lowering your L&I premium lies in keeping your experience modification factor (EMF) as low as possible. Your company’s EMF is calculated each year based on the hours reported and type of work performed, as well as any claims your company has had. Your EMF is then applied to L&I’s base rates to determine your company’s final rates. An EMF higher than 1.0 means that you are paying higher than the base rate, and an EMF lower than 1.0 means you are saving money. Your 2024 EMF will be based on hours reported and claims incurred during the period July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2022.
The best strategy for lowering your EMF in the future is by returning injured employees to work as soon as possible. By avoiding time-loss benefits in your claims, you become eligible for several, often overlooked, financial incentives from L&I. To learn more about strategies for lowering your EMF and reducing the premium your company pays, check out our four-part series:
Are Your L&I Premiums as Low as They Could Be?
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
With increasing labor costs, supply chain shortages and rising inflation, every dollar saved counts. For more information on these cost-saving strategies, contact your ERNwest performance specialist or send us an email.