Workers' Compensation Insurance. Required by Law. Essential for Every Employer.
In most states, workers’ compensation isn’t optional, it’s the law. Saint Moore Insurance Agency helps employers across industries get the right coverage quickly, stay compliant, and protect their business when an employee gets hurt on the job.
What Is Workers’ Compensation Insurance?
Workers’ compensation insurance is a policy that covers the cost of work-related injuries and illnesses for your employees. When an employee gets hurt or sick because of their job, workers’ comp is generally designed to pay for their medical treatment, a portion of their lost wages while they recover, and additional benefits depending on the severity of the injury.
In exchange, employees generally give up the right to sue their employer for negligence — a protection known as the “workers’ comp bargain.” It protects your employees when something goes wrong, and it protects your business from potentially devastating out-of-pocket costs or lawsuits.
What Workers’ Comp Typically Covers
- Medical Treatment: Doctor visits, hospital stays, surgery, prescriptions, and rehabilitation related to the work injury or illness
- Temporary Disability Benefits: A portion of the employee’s lost wages while they are recovering and unable to work
- Permanent Disability Benefits: Compensation if the injury results in a lasting impairment that affects the employee’s ability to work
- Supplemental Job Displacement: Retraining vouchers if the injured employee cannot return to their previous position
- Death Benefits: Payments to dependents if a work-related injury or illness results in a fatality
What Workers’ Comp Does Not Cover
Workers’ compensation generally does not cover injuries that occur outside the scope of employment, intentional self-harm, or injuries sustained while under the influence. It also does not cover independent contractors, though in California, worker classification is strictly regulated under AB5, and misclassifying an employee as a contractor is one of the most common and costly compliance mistakes a business can make. Coverage terms and exclusions vary by policy and carrier.
Who Needs Workers’ Compensation Insurance?
Workers’ compensation is required by law in all 50 states and for good reason. Most states do not distinguish between full-time, part-time, or seasonal workers. If you pay someone wages to work for your business, you are very likely required to carry coverage.
Workers’ comp is especially critical for businesses in higher-risk industries, but no employer is truly exempt from workplace injury exposure. Here’s who should make this a top priority:
- Contractors and construction businesses : High physical risk, frequent job-site injuries, and often required by licensing boards and general contractors
- Restaurants and food service: Burns, slips, cuts, and repetitive strain are among the most common workplace injuries in this industry
- Retail businesses: Lifting injuries, slip-and-falls, and stockroom accidents are frequent claims
- Healthcare and home care providers: Patient handling, needlestick injuries, and exposure risks require solid workers’ comp protection
- Landscaping and outdoor trades: Equipment injuries and heat-related illness are significant exposures
- Office-based businesses: Ergonomic injuries, stress-related illness, and parking lot incidents still generate claims even in low-risk environments
Even if you believe your workplace is safe, one claim without coverage can result in penalties, stop-work orders, and full out-of-pocket liability for the injured worker’s costs. The risk of going uninsured is never worth it.
Generally designed to cover an injured employee’s medical treatment and a portion of their lost wages while they recover — keeping your team protected and your business out of direct financial liability for those costs.
Workers’ comp limits your exposure as an employer. Without it, an injured employee could sue your business directly for medical costs, lost income, and damages — with no cap on what they could recover.
Workers’ comp is required in 49 states. Carrying a compliant policy keeps you on the right side of the law and protects your business license, your reputation, and your ability to operate — wherever you do business.
How to Get Workers’ Compensation Coverage with Saint Moore
Getting covered is simple. Here’s how to get your policy started with Saint Moore in four easy steps.
Getting workers’ comp doesn’t have to be complicated. Here’s how Saint Moore Insurance Agency makes it straightforward.
Step 1: Tell Us About Your Business and Workforce
We’ll ask about your industry, number of employees, the type of work they perform, and your payroll. Workers’ comp premiums are calculated based on job classifications and payroll.
Step 2: We'll Find the Right Carrier
Saint Moore Insurance Agency works with multiple workers’ comp carriers to find the right fit for your industry and risk profile. Some industries have specialized programs that can offer better rates .
Step 3: We Review Your Classification Codes
Workers’ comp premiums are directly tied to employee classification codes. Incorrect classifications are one of the most common reasons businesses overpay for coverage. We review your codes carefully to make sure you’re not paying more than you should.
Step 4: Get Covered and Stay Compliant
Once your policy is bound, we’ll walk you through your obligations as an employer including posting requirements and what to do when a claim occurs. We stay accessible throughout the policy year, not just at renewal.
Local roots. Nationwide reach.
St. Moore is headquartered in Redlands, CA, and deeply rooted in the Inland Empire but our carrier network covers all 50 states. Whether you're a local homeowner, a regional business, or have assets across multiple states, we have the market access to protect them.
Don’t Wait for an Injury to Find Out You’re Not Covered.
Call Saint Moore Insurance Agency at (909) 793-2151, visit our Redlands office at 1150 Brookside Ave Suite Q, or request a quote online. We’ll get your business compliant and your employees protected — without the runaround.
Yes. California law requires every employer to carry workers’ compensation insurance, even if you only have one part-time employee. There is no minimum hour threshold. If someone works for your business and you pay them wages, you are legally required to have coverage.
Operating without workers’ comp in California is a criminal misdemeanor and can result in fines, stop-work orders, and personal liability for any injuries that occur. The state does not offer grace periods for non-compliance.
Generally, workers’ compensation does not cover independent contractors, only employees. However, California’s AB5 law (effective 2020) applies a strict “ABC test” to determine worker classification, and most workers are presumed to be employees unless you can prove otherwise under all three criteria.
Misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor is one of the most common compliance mistakes California businesses make, and it carries serious legal and financial consequences. If you work with contractors and aren’t sure how they’re classified, it’s worth having that conversation with both an attorney and your insurance agent.
Workers’ compensation is generally designed to cover costs related to work-related injuries and illnesses, including:
- Medical treatment: Doctor visits, hospital stays, surgery, prescriptions, and rehabilitation
- Temporary disability benefits: A portion of lost wages while the employee recovers and cannot work
- Permanent disability benefits: Compensation if the injury results in a lasting impairment
- Supplemental job displacement: Retraining vouchers if the employee cannot return to their previous role
- Death benefits: Payments to dependents if a work-related injury or illness results in death
In exchange for this coverage, employees generally give up the right to sue their employer for negligence. This is sometimes called the “workers’ comp bargain.” Coverage terms and limits vary by policy and carrier.
Sole proprietors and business owners are generally not required to carry workers’ compensation for themselves, but they can elect to purchase it voluntarily. This can be worth considering if you work in a physically demanding trade where an injury could put you out of work entirely.
If you have a corporation, corporate officers may be able to waive workers’ comp coverage for themselves, though requirements vary. Partnership rules differ as well. A Saint Moore Insurance Agency agent can help you understand what applies to your specific business structure.
