Small business has a friend at L&I

Solve problems, get information — Fast!

Small business owners and managers now have contacts at the Department of Labor & Industries that can answer questions and solve problems about workers´ compensation insurance, workplace safety rules, wage and hour regulations, contractor registration and other business with L&I.

Ron Langley and Aaron Hoffman are your advocates inside L&I for small business needs — pursuing improvements that help L&I do a better job of serving small business owners and managers.

Services we provide for small business:

• Provide information and solve problems.
• Speak to your small business group at your location, covering your group's top issues.
• Regular tips and L&I news in a small business e-newsletter sent to your e-mail. Get a sample here.

Call 360-902-4205, or toll free at 1-800-987-0145, or by e-mail at SmallBusiness@LNI.wa.gov.

L&I News for Small Business Archives

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If you join L&I's Small Business News mailing list, you will receive L&I's Small Business Newsletter right in your e-mail inbox. It is full of up-to-date information and helpful tips for saving you time, money and trouble. You will also occasionally receive notices about urgent L&I news or opportunities to attend no-cost or low-cost small business seminars and workshops.

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Take advantage of these great training opportunities

L&I training & workshops

Go to L&I's Workshop & Training Center to get information about workshops,training and certification programs offered by L&I, as well as online courses and a number of other resources.

Free seminar: Hire the right person first time, every time!

Human resources consultant Humanix Staffing and Recruiting and the trade group Associated Industries will teach a free seminar on how to hire and keep good people, and keep them safe on the job. The seminar is scheduled from 2-4 p.m. Wednesday, September 24, at the Spokane Convention Center, 322 N. Spokane Falls Blvd.

Learn how the experts:

• Write a job description that helps you hire the right person.
• Plan the interview and ask effective questions.
• Use questions you can legally ask during an interview or reference check.
• Do effective background checks, substance abuse screening, and reference checks.
• Keep your good employees.
• Build a workable safety plan to keep workers safe and avoid costly injuries.

This seminar is sponsored by the Governor’s Safety and Health Conference. To register, please contact Ron Langley at SmallBusiness@Lni.wa.gov or toll-free at 1-800-987-0145.

Other training

Online video: Plan for and Pay Your Taxes (disponible en español)
(DOR.wa.gov) 20 minutes, requires QuickTime.

This online guide walks you through all Washington state business taxes, including the business and occupation tax (B&O), sales tax, unemployment insurance tax, and workers' compensation insurance premiums.

This step-by-step video tells you how to:

• Register with the state.
• Find out your tax rate.
• Keep correct records.
• File and pay your taxes and state insurance premiums.

The video ends with links to where you can find help with the details.

Hiring Workers for Your Business: Are They Independent Contractors or Employees?"

This 140-minute online seminar, a joint presentation by L&I and the Internal Revenue Service (January 17, 2008) covers, in detail, both state and federal requirements for hiring independent contractors.

It will help you avoid making the mistake of hiring what you thought was an independent contractor, only to find that you actually hired an employee — and then owe back taxes and insurance premiums!

On L&I's web site Running a Business: What you need to do. Safety & health basics for small businesses. Licensing, registrations & certificates. Your responsibilities as an employer. What to do if your employees get injured. What you need to know about workers' comp insurance. L&I Online Claim and Account Center Detailed information on workers´ comp claims and accounts. Verify Workers´ Comp Premium Status Is your contractor up-to-date on workers´ comp insurance? More helpful topics for business…

Other resources Doing Business in Washington Find out how to start or expand a business in Washington, change its status, get licensed, get tax regulations, etc. Small Business and Self-Employed One-Stop Resource Get links to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Web site about starting and operating a business, employment taxes, tax law changes for business, business-related forms and publications, and online learning options. Industry-Specific Tax Information Learn directly from the IRS about important tax information specific to your industry or profession.

Questions small business owners ask most frequently

• How do I change or update my workers' compensation risk classes?

  Contact your L&I account manager. Their phone number is listed on your quarterly report form. If you don't have a copy of your report form, go to the Verify Workers' Comp Premium Status tool on the L&I web site and enter your account number or UBI number. Click on the link that names your business. Your account manager's name and phone number will appear at the bottom of the page.
  

• Can you tell me how a claim (or claims) will affect my workers´ compensation rates?

  A claim will affect your rates for three years, starting 1-2 years after the date of injury. We can usually give you a rough estimate of how claims will affect your experience factor, which is the formula we use to determine your rates relative to other employers in your industry. Contact your account manager (see the question above for how to find your account manager) or ask the Small Business Liaison for help.

• I haven´t had a claim in a long time. Do I get a break on my workers´ comp rates?

  Yes. If you haven't had a compensable claim in the past three years, you receive a claim-free discount that ranges from 10-40 percent, depending on the number of workers' compensation hours that you report. A "compensable" claim is one that has costs other than medical treatment (time-loss, pension, partial permanent disability payment). In addition, if you have a claim-free discount, medical-only claims do not affect your rates.

• I have only a few employees. Am I required to have a workplace safety plan?

  Yes. The Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act (WISHA) requires all employers to create and use an Accident Prevention Plan. You can find a step-by-step checklist and template for creating your safety plan on the L&I web site at www.lni.wa.gov/safety/basics/smallbusiness.

• I'm just starting my business. Where can I find information about government requirements?

  Go to www.Business.wa.gov for lots of helpful information on state and local requirements. Find information about federal requirements (IRS, Social Security, etc.) at www.Business.gov. Also, take a look under the “Useful Tools� tab at the top of this web page.

• I have an established business and am hiring an employee (or employees) for the first time. How do I sign up for workers' compensation insurance?

  When you add employees for the first time, you need to re-file your state Master Business Application, which can be found online on the Department of Licensing web site. Be sure to check one of the “Hire Employees� boxes in Section 1 of the application, then fill out all sections that apply to your business including Section 5 “Employment/Elective Coverage.� L&I and the Employment Security Department will be notified and will establish workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance accounts for your company or organization. You will receive your account information in a few weeks. If you’re hiring workers right away and need help, contact the L&I Small Business Liaison.

Have a question you don't see here?

Send it to L&I's Small Business Liaison at: SmallBusiness@Lni.wa.gov.