Vigilant Blog

When it comes to manufacturing Retro groups in Washington, employers have several to consider. They differ, often significantly, in terms of their service offerings and what they require of their members. While we typically focus on the positive aspects and numerous benefits of these programs, it’s important to acknowledge common concerns expressed by Retro participants…

We all know about claims from the past that linger, causing costs to rise for years. It’s easy to get in the habit of overthinking the numerous scenarios where things could have gone differently. But it’s far more valuable to extract the lessons learned from these claims, and use them to inform future strategies. This…

It’s probably safe to say, in business a partner relationship is preferred over an adversarial one. There are low levels of trust in the latter, not to mention stress for both parties and lack of team effort to get the job done quickly and with good results. So, in the instance of workers’ compensation claims…

                FACT: If Kept-On-Salary (KOS) always produced the best financial result for your company, all Retro groups would likely have KOS requirements. The truth is, KOS will always be good for the retro sponsor but there are times when KOS isn’t the best move for you. You need…

The Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) has proposed changes to the insurance tables that will reduce refunds for more than 80% of individual retros in Washington state. Are you one of them? In our experience, most companies choose to participate in an individual retro for two primary reasons: They believe that they can outperform…

What are 5 things you should you be hearing from your Retro or workers’ comp provider? The first thing you should be hearing is the importance of immediacy. Why? In this short video, Dan Beaty, VP Workers’ Compensation explains: In claims, immediacy can mean the difference of hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Let’s look…

Receiving consistently large Retro refunds requires being in good company. When evaluating your current Retro program or investigating in a Retro for the first time, a critical component to consider is the company you will keep. For any Retro program to deliver consistently strong premium refunds, it must surround you with other best-in-class employers. We…

Got workers’ comp questions? We’ve got answers. It’s hard to keep track of all the Workers’ Compensation acronyms, definitions, best practices and more! So we’re sharing a few frequently asked questions we recently received from our Vigilant Manufacturing Retro members. What is Standard Premium; is it the same premium I pay to L&I? Standard premium…

Question: “What action can we take to lower our upfront workers’ comp premium? Where do we even start?” Answer: From Vigilant’s VP of Workers’ Comp, Dan Beaty. I get asked this question daily. My reply? We’re here to help, and here’s a hint: high frequency/impact injuries, and a strategic use of kept-on-salary(KOS). To lower upfront…

Lately I’ve received a lot of questions about Vigilant’s perspective on Kept-On-Salary mandates. Here’s where we stand: We oppose KOS Mandates Our fundamental objection to KOS mandates is that they ALWAYS benefit a group retro program and its association sponsor, but do NOT ALWAYS best serve the individual member companies that are paying for it….

Washington Manufacturers: On my daughter’s 7th birthday she was gifted a Magic 8-ball. You know, the one with the blue liquid that you shake and it magically answers whatever question you’ve asked. Often the response would be a non-committal answer like “Ask Again Later” or “Cannot Predict Now.” Feverishly, she would ask the question again,…

Washington Manufacturer: Who do you contact within Labor & Industries (L&I) to help you with a difficult workers’ compensation claim issue? Who is advocating for your interests with the Department? Not knowing where to start and how to be impactful can be overwhelming, frustrating, and even demoralizing. Just as the company you keep is crucial…