Washington Business Winter 2019 | Washington Business | Page 52

business backgrounder | economy
Helping Businesses be Workers’ Comp Wise
From safety training and workers’ compensation claims management to
a retrospective rating program that can offer premium reimbursements,
AWB’s CompWise program helps employers in many ways.
Brian Mittge
For more than 20 years, AWB’s CompWise program has helped employers
with a wide range of workers’ comp services that improve the safety of their
workplaces, expertly handling workers’ comp claims and finding ways to save
money with lower up-front premiums and can even result in premium refunds.
At A Glance
The CompWise Retrospective
Rating Program (Retro) for
manufacturing companies
received nearly a 30 percent
refund on workers’ compensation
premiums for the 2017 plan year.
CompWise offers Retro groups for
four separate industry categories:
manufacturing, service/retail/
wholesale, hospitality and
facilities/property management.
Participating in CompWise can
help employers lower upfront
premiums paid to the state
Department of Labor & Industries
(L&I) and provide an opportunity
for participating companies to
qualify for workers’ compensation
premium refunds.
CompWise offers safety services
that help prevent workplace
injuries and effective claims
management in the event
claims do occur.
CompWise will act as the
advocate on claims before L&I and
can assist in many other areas.
52 association of washington business
“It’s been wonderful to have.
They’ve provided excellent service.
If I have any questions, they’ve
been the ones to go to rather than
calling the state.”
When Nancy Mayer, office manager
at the Ritzville Warehouse Company,
has a question about workers’
compensation, she knows just who
to call.
AWB’s CompWise program takes
the work of managing claims off her
— Nancy Mayer, office manager, Ritzville
shoulders, she said, and has expert
Warehouse Company
advice on how to help workers get
healthy and get back to work.
“It’s been wonderful to have,” she said about CompWise. “They’ve provided excellent
service. If I have any questions, they’ve been the ones to go to rather than calling the state.”
The Ritzville Warehouse Company is a co-op that operates grain elevators and shipping
facilities in communities throughout Washington’s bread basket region, and also services
Case equipment. The company has 70 full- and part-time employees throughout the year,
and during wheat harvest that number goes up to 120.
She said CompWise has been particularly helpful in helping Ritzville Warehouse Company
engage with Washington’s programs to give injured employees training and support to
return to work.