L&I proposes new workers’ comp rates for 2024, first responders to see large increases

On September 19 the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) announced its proposal for 2024 workers’ compensation rates. The average rate will go up by 4.9%, though it originally would have been higher had L&I not decided to buy down the rates using reserves.

L&I says that the rate increases are justified by Washington’s higher-than-normal average wage increases over the last several years, as the cost of the system to replace higher wages goes up. The agency says that the 4.9% average increase works out to an increase of an additional $65 a year per FTE. AWC is concerned that such high rate increases and using reserves to buy them down will not be a sustainable way to control workers’ compensation costs on an ongoing basis.

Individual job classes important to cities will see higher than average rate increases, including city and county law enforcement and firefighters. Both were expected to see dramatic increases, which required the department to cap them at 15%. Much of these drastic increases for first responders are being driven by presumptive PTSD claims, an issue that AWC has tried to work with L&I on over the past several years.

You can see some city-relevant job classes and their proposed rate changes below:

Individual cities’ premiums are determined by rates based on the type of work performed, and then multiplied by that city’s experience factor. A city’s experience factor can go up or down based on claim history and costs.

Members of AWC’s Retro Program can request their jurisdiction’s rate by contacting Retro staff.

L&I has scheduled public hearings on the rate increases for October 26, 27, and 31. The October 26 meeting is the only meeting available to attend virtually.

Written comments can be submitted to:
Jo Anne Attwood, Administrative Regulations Analyst
P.O. Box 41448
Olympia, WA 98504-4148

Or by email to: JoAnne.Attwood@Lni.wa.gov.

All written comments must be received by 5 pm on October 31.