Washington proposes decrease in comp rates again

The Washington Department of Labor and Industries on Wednesday proposed a 0.8% decrease in the average premium employers would pay for the coverage in 2020.

The proposal would be the third consecutive year for decreases. In 2018, the average workers compensation premium rate dropped by 2.5% and in 2019 rate by 5%, the largest decline in more than 10 years, according to the announcement.

The decrease means Washington employers would pay a total of $21 million less in premiums in 2020, and that employers would pay an average of about $15 less a year per employee for coverage, regulators said in the announcement.

“Workplace injury rates in Washington are declining, and we’ve had great success in recent years helping injured workers heal and return to work,” department director Joel Sacks said in a statement.