Workers Compensation Premium Audits - a necessary evil (some would say) for any employer - determines the final cost of your workers compensation insurance premiums. Sometimes the results of these audits can significantly change your premium compared to the estimated insurance premium originally used in the policy – and not always in a positive way. These audits can be stressful, disruptive and time-consuming for you.

Don’t wait until you receive a notice that you are about to be audited to begin collecting data.  Sometimes you only know a few weeks ahead of time, and you don’t want to scramble around for information, which can cause incorrect, missing or inadequate information. 

Here are a few tips to make a workers comp insurance audit as painless as possible:

Before the Workers Comp Audit:

• Review your original workers compensation insurance policy to see how the initial estimated premium was determined – including classification codes, rates, and payrolls.
• Look at your last audit report to see what information was required and what errors were made.  If this is your first workers comp audit, ask the auditor for a list of documents and information that they will be requesting.
• Review all job descriptions and ensure that the correct NCCI class code descriptions are applied to each job.
• Review all of your payroll records and check that employees are on the correct corporate payroll.  Make sure that any outside contract employees are kept separate from corporate employees and have copies of other insurance provisions for these contracted employees, such as hold harmless agreements or insurance certificates that show the employer as also insured on the contracted employees’ insurance policy.
• If there are unusual situations, such as an unexpected project that required additional over-time, make sure that you understand and are able to explain the situation.
• Place documents and physical evidence in chronological order.
• Ensure that information on your website or any other places a workers compensation insurance auditor would have access to is up-to-date, correct and not misleading
• Secure a private and comfortable room for the auditor(s) and ensure that internet is available in that space.

During the Workers Compensation Insurance Audit:

• Be professional and friendly
• Make sure that the workers comp insurance auditor is comfortable and knows where everything is (coffee, restrooms, photocopiers, etc.)
• Assign a primary contact person from senior management who will act as a liaison between the company and the auditor.   This person should be very familiar with all the work done within each department and by each employee, audit procedures, and the materials prepared for the audit.
• Do not lose your temper.  Be cooperative and answer all questions accurately and to the best of your abilitiy.  Keep your answers short, direct, and to the point.
• Do not invite auditors to lunch or dinner or offer any other items that could be interpreted as a bribe.
• You should have the opportunity to meet with the workers compensation insurance auditor(s) before they leave the premises to go over his or her findings and make corrections if needed.   This wrap-up meeting should be held in a private location.

After the Workers Comp Audit:

If you do not reach an agreement on the published report at the wrap up meeting, immediately prepare a written document along with all the necessary documents to support your position and request that any adverse premium changes be held until the challenge is resolved.  Legal assistance may be required.

Premium audits are a part of being an employer.  In order to see the best results, be prepared and cooperative, and be ready to provide any information the auditor requires. 

Get the Right Workers Compensation Insurance

For more information about premium audits or how to get the best deal on workers compensation insurance, contact an American Insuring Group independent agent at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848. As independent agents, we're free to find you the best insurance at the best price, selecting from among competing insurance carriers. We serve Phildelphia, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Allentown, Reading, Pittsburgh, Erie, PA and beyond. Call today.