Ohio Comp Bureau Conducts Random Sweep of 200 Toledo Area Employers

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) recently concluded a random sweep of 200 employers in the Toledo area to determine whether they have active workers’ compensation coverage, collecting $110,412 in previously unpaid premiums.

Of those 200 employers, BWC found 31 noncompliant, 27 are either now in compliance or working to become compliant, the agency said in a statement.

The sweeps were the final stage of BWC’s efforts to bring employers into compliance. When a business does not make its premium payment on time, BWC sends a series of letters notifying the company its account is lapsed. If payment still is not received, bureau personnel contact the employer directly, either by phone or personal visit, to collect outstanding premiums.

Employers that elect not to pay their premiums will have their account balances certified to the Ohio Attorney General’s office for collections. Failure to pay can result in further penalties and interest, as well as property liens being assessed against the employer.

Injured workers who work for noncompliant employers are still entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. However, employers are responsible for paying the direct costs of all claims filed by workers who are injured during the period when the account is lapsed.