Vigilant Blog

Safety in the workplace pays. That’s why Washington employers can expect an average 2.5 percent drop in workers’ comp base rates in 2018. According to the state Department of Labor & Industries, the proposed rate decrease is the result of improved workplace safety as well as initiatives to help injured workers recover sooner, including light…

Workers’ Comp exists for a good reason: to aid employees when they have been hurt on the job. It’s a type of insurance that protects not only employees, but employers. But like any type of insurance, it’s subject to fraud. In a recent case involving workers' comp, insurance was actually what helped bring charges of…

Tenacity Pays Off: Vigilant Retro Group Member Saves $167k, Tough Claim Closes When the going gets tough with our Workers’ Comp Retro Group member claims, Vigilant digs in.   Take the case of a worker at a Washington manufacturer who suffered a full rotator cuff tear on his right shoulder. Two surgeries, two years, and…

Let’s put one workplace myth to rest right now: an injured employee who returns to work in a light duty position isn’t going to bust the morale of fellow co-workers. Period. Seeing their co-worker back on the road to recovery by performing lighter tasks and transitioning back to full duties will more than likely increase…

After a series of inspections, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) recently fined a roofing and building company $642,000 for 21 safety violations, including exposing workers to potential falls from more than 30 feet high. L&I discovered eight violations of fall protection rules for employees working 10 or more feet off the…

1.    A claim is filed by a difficult employee If you have a difficult employee, chances are they are going to be a difficult injured employee. Be pro-active with clear performance expectations and deal with any behavior and performance challenges early. If a claim is filed, treat the worker the same as anyone else, with…

Vigilant’s commitment to reducing claim costs for our Workers’ Comp Retro Group is paying off—big time. We’re pleased to announce that our Retro Group just hit a huge milestone by reducing the number of time loss days by 37 percent compared to the same point last year. That’s equivalent to eight days less per claim…

It All Adds Up: Vigilant Saves Lumber Manufacturer More Than $200K in Workers’ Comp Claim When it comes to saving money with Vigilant’s Workers’ Comp Retro Group, it’s all about the numbers. And we have some pretty impressive ones to share from a recent case that involved one of our members, a Washington lumber manufacturer:…

L&I reviews rates every fall to ensure that they are sufficient to cover expected claim payouts, account for wage inflation, and appropriately build the contingency reserve fund. However, because 0.7 percent is an average, some risk class increases will be higher and some will be lower. A few industries with higher rates include: Food processing…