Small Business Coverage and Peace of Mind
Small businesses are a major force in Missouri’s economic landscape. In 2018, the state’s economy grew at an annual rate of 3.6%, which was faster than the overall US growth rate of 3.4%. Small businesses were a driving force behind this growth. Missouri has around 523,400 small businesses which employ around 1.1 million workers, or 47% of the private workforce. Leading small-business sectors include health care and social assistance, accommodation and food services, retail trade and manufacturing.1
The leading independent businesses purchasing workers’ compensation insurance in Missouri are auto service and repair shops, restaurants and hotels, grocery stores, printers, hardware stores, machine shops and metal stamped goods manufacturers, libraries, computer equipment manufacturers, and retail stores.
How Does Workers’ Compensation Work in Missouri?
Most Missouri businesses are legally obligated to carry workers’ compensation insurance, which pays benefits to workers injured on the job to cover the costs of their medical care, a portion of their lost wages and permanent disability. In return, employers receive immunity from civil lawsuits by employees who get injured or sustain an occupational disease at work.
What is Missouri Workers’ Compensation Law?
Missouri workers’ compensation law requires employers with five or more employees to carry workers’ compensation insurance with a carrier approved by the Missouri Department of Insurance, or to the Division of Workers’ Compensation for approval to self-insure. Employers that have four workers or less can also elect to purchase workers’ compensation insurance to protect themselves from costly lawsuits in case of worker injury.2
Workers’ compensation laws are stricter for construction industry employers engaged in building, remodeling, or demolition. Employers in the construction trade are required to carry the insurance for every employee. According to the Missouri Workers’ Compensation laws, general contractors are liable for any injuries to uninsured subcontractors or their uninsured employees.
What are the Missouri Workers’ Compensation Insurance Requirements?
Employers must post information identifying their insurance carrier or claims administrator so employees know whom to contact if an injury occurs. Employers can obtain a copy of this notice from their insurance carrier or from the Division of Workers’ Compensation.
If a workplace injury does occur, employers are required to provide immediate medical care for injured employees. Employers must also report worker injuries to their insurance company as soon as possible and to the Division of Workers’ Compensation within 30 days of the incident.
How do you file a workers’ compensation claim in Missouri?
When injuries occur, knowing what to expect and how to file a workers’ comp claim in Missouri is important.
Reporting injuries in a timely manner helps make sure workers receive appropriate care quickly. Employees should be encouraged to report any injury or occupational disease within 30 days of an accident or 30 days from the date of their diagnosis of an occupational disease or repetitive trauma. These reports should be made to their immediate supervisor or small business owner. Failure to report an injury within 30 days may hurt the employees’ chance of receiving workers’ compensation insurance benefits.
Business owners should provide injured employees with an incident or accident form to formally report their work-related injury. The form should address the nature of the injury, where and when it occurred, and the name and address of the person injured. The Division of Workers’ Compensation offers a form on its website, Form WC-280, that may be used for this purpose.
After an injury or occupational disease occurs, business owners should report the injury immediately to their insurance carrier. EMPLOYERS offers a claims kit including links to the necessary forms for Missouri businesses here.
EMPLOYERS Insurance in Missouri
Insurance agents and carriers can help Missouri small businesses navigate their options and provide guidance on ways they can protect their business and employees. EMPLOYERS is America’s Workers’ Comp Specialist®, and it provides Missouri-based businesses with affordable workers’ compensation insurance. The value-added services that EMPLOYERS offers its policyholders include Loss Control Services, Anti-Fraud Programs, and Managed Care Services.
Interested in learning more about how EMPLOYERS can help your Missouri business? Request a quote for workers’ compensation insurance from EMPLOYERS.
Missouri Workmans’ Comp Coverage You Need
Interested in learning more about how EMPLOYERS can help your Missouri business? Get started now with workers’ compensation insurance from EMPLOYERS!
Thousands of small businesses trust EMPLOYERS for providing cost-effective workers’ compensation insurance for over a century. With our competitive pricing, financial stability and dependability, claims service, safety training and risk advisory programs, EMPLOYERS remains focused on keeping America’s small businesses not only working, but working safely.
1. About Workers’ Compensation. Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. https://labor.mo.gov/dwc
2. 2018 Small Business Profile: Missouri. Small Business Administration. https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/advocacy/2018-Small-Business-Profiles-MO.pdf
In Missouri, insurance is offered through Employers Assurance Company and Employers Preferred Insurance Company. Not all insurers do business in all jurisdictions.