Latest rate cut for private employers
A 13% rate reduction for private employers went into effect July 1, saving private employers $131.6 million over fiscal year 2020’s premiums. The reduction marks the third rate cut in three years for private employers and the 11th since 2008. It is also the third largest cut in 60 years, following the largest (20%) last year.
The cut represents an average statewide change and does not include the costs related to the administrative cost fund or other funds BWC administers. The actual premium paid by individual private employers depends on several factors, including the expected future claims costs in their industry, their company’s recent claims history, and their participation in various BWC programs.
BWC-sponsored public service announcements promote use of masks
We are sponsoring two new public service announcements created in partnership with the Ohio Restaurant Association, OhioHealth, JobsOhio, and the Ohio Business Roundtable. The first public service announcement features real Ohioans explaining why all Ohioans should wear a mask.
The second public service announcement features Dr. Steve Markovich, a former Air National Guardsman and fighter pilot, who is CEO of OhioHealth. He encourages younger adults to wear masks to protect family, friends, and coworkers.
Kids’ Chance helps injured workers’ families
Kids’ Chance of Ohio changes lives by offering scholarships to children of workers who have been totally disabled or fatally injured on the job. Every story is one of turning tragedy into triumph. In this video, Malerie Mysza shares how Kids’ Chance helped her realize her dream of becoming an occupational therapist so she could help people like her father, who suffered brain injuries and blindness after a work accident.
If you would like to support Kids’ Chance of Ohio or know someone who is eligible for its scholarships, visit https://kidschanceohio.org
BWC responds to COVID-19 challenges
We always believe Protecting Ohio’s Workforce is central to our mission, more so than ever during COVID-19. Here’s just some of what we’ve initiated since the pandemic emerged in March:
- Heather Baines is founder and president of HR Construction Services LLC in Cleveland. She shared her story of how BWC’s $1.6 billion April dividend and delivery of cloth face coverings as part of our Protecting Ohio’s Workforce – We’ve Got You Covered initiative came at a critical time for her company. As of July 31, we have shipped 13.4 million face coverings to 184,000 employers.
- We deferred employers’ June, July, and August monthly premium installments until Sept. 1. It was the second extension requested by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and kept up to $579 million in the Ohio economy to help businesses restart and do so safely.
- We relaxed or revised payroll reporting requirements that will eventually result in premium savings for employers. For example, we are not requiring employers to report payroll paid to idle staff, and we are allowing operational staff to be reported under teleworking class codes.
For more on BWC as it relates to COVID-19, please visit bwc.ohio.gov or email us at BWCCOVID19@bwc.state.oh.us.
For more on COVID-19, including prevention guidelines and its impact on Ohio, visit the Ohio Department of Health website coronavirus.ohio.gov.