Jail time for business owners who refuse to pay their premiums
The BWC is seriously pursuing business owners who let their workers’ comp coverage lapse and fail to reinstate it, or employers who have never gotten coverage at all.
When employers are found guilty, the judges are ordering jail time, probation, payment of back premiums, reimbursement of BWC investigation costs, and fines.
This may sound harsh to any business owner who has ever had occasional cash flow challenges. But deadbeat employers harm you in two ways. First, they can undercut their competitors because of their lower costs of doing business. Second, the cost of claims filed against deadbeat employers are included in the premiums paid by every non-deadbeat employer.
I don’t advocate a business war, but if your competitors don’t pay for workers’ comp coverage, turn them in!
Make a call to the BWC fraud unit at 800-OHIOBWC or 800-644-6292, and choose option 4. Or go to www.ohiobwc.com and scroll down to Report Fraud at the bottom of the home page. You can remain anonymous.