Alerts & Advisories

2008 Workers’ Compensation Premium Assessment Rate effective January 1st, 2008

The 2008 Workers' Compensation Assessment Rate has been approved by the Department of Consumer and Business Services at 4.8% for Self-insured employers and Self-insured Employers Group to be effective 1-1-2008. The rate is unchanged from 2007.
The assessment is used to fund Workers' Compensation related programs and workplace safety and health programs that serve Oregon employers and workers. CIS collects this assessment from its members based on their individual contribution and remits it to the State on behalf of the group. (Source: OR DCBS Bulletin #348, 10/23/2007)

BOLI has raised the Oregon minimum hourly wage from $7.80 to $7.95 to be effective January 1st, 2008

If you are providing Workers' Compensation coverage to volunteer workers using an hourly assumed wage for rating purposes, please update the assumed hourly rate to the new minimum effective January 1, 2008.

Employers will receive a posting reflecting the new minimum wage rate in December in time to be post it on 1/1/2008. Posting can also be downloaded on BOLI website in December. http://www.oregon.gov/BOLI/index.shtml

Your payroll records and systems should be updated to reflect this change if it applies to wages that you pay to your employees.

Oregon Division of Payroll and Verifiable Records Guidelines

Operations subject to more than one classification may have employees whose duties relate to more than one classification. In this case, OAR 836-042-0060 allows for division of a single individual’s payroll, unless otherwise stated in classification wording, as long as verifiable records exist to support the time the employee spends in each classification exposure.

CIS has put together a sample daily verifiable time record that you are free to use. If you have questions, please contact Penny Marlette at 503-763-3850 or pmarlette@cciservices.com .

More Information on Records Guidelines

Instructions for Reporting Your Actual Workers’ Comp Payroll by Class Code


Each year around mid-July to mid-August, CIS members receive a year-end audit form on which actual employee and assumed volunteer payroll is reported for the coverage year that ended on June 30. Questions always arise regarding what is to be included in and excluded from subject payroll. Subject payroll refers to the net payroll subject to payroll reporting after allowable exclusions and reportable inclusions.
Information on Class Codes

How to Prepare for a Premium (Physical) Audit

The purpose of a workers’ compensation premium (physical) audit is to apply a fair and consistent premium calculation system based on each individual member’s operations, payroll, and accounting records. An accurate audit is a benefit to all members to validate that the correct premiums (contributions) are paid for the coverage provided.

More Information on Preparing for Audits

Determining WC Compensability

When making a compensability decision, Workers' Compensation claims examiners must evaluate several important factors, not just whether or not the incident occurred on the employer's premises or "on the job."