Contact Us

Workers Compensation Division
401 SW Topeka Blvd, Suite 2
Topeka, KS 66603-3105

Phone: 785-296-4000
Fax: 785-296-0025
Email: kdol.wc@ks.gov

FAQs

What are the available options for an employer to secure workers compensation coverage?
An employer may secure workers compensation coverage by:
- Purchasing a workers compensation insurance policy
- Joining a group-funded workers compensation pool
- Qualifying as a self-insurer
What are the legal consequences of failing to maintain workers compensation insurance?

In general, an employer with a payroll exceeding $20,000 must secure workers compensation coverage for its employees. The civil penalty for violating this provision is twice the annual premium or $25,000, whichever is greater.
What is the methodology for calculating payroll for workers compensation coverage?

When calculating a company's total annual payroll to see if it must follow the workers' compensation law, all wages paid to all workers must be counted. This includes wages paid both inside and outside of Kansas. The rule that usually excludes wages paid to family members does not apply to businesses structured as corporations. For corporate employers, the total payroll includes all wages paid to everyone. See K.S.A 44-505 for more information.
What is the timeframe for reporting an accident resulting in injury? What are the legal consequences for failure to submit an accident report within the mandated time frame?

Employers must report employee accidents within 28 days if the injuries keep the person from working for more than one day, shift, or turn. If they do not report it, they can face a fine of $250 for each time they fail to report.
Which Kansas employers are excluded from providing workers compensation insurance coverage?
Employers excluded from the law are:
- Certain agricultural pursuits
- Realtors who qualify as independent contractors
- Firefighters belonging to a firefighter’s relief association which has waived coverage under the workers compensation law
- Sole proprietors, LLC members and partners (All other employees would need to be covered if payroll is greater than $20,000)
- Certain owner-operator vehicle drivers covered by their own occupational accident insurance policy
For information on Coverage and Compliance, contact785- 296-4000, opt. 4 or kdol.wccompliance@ks.gov.
Who is eligible to opt in or out of workers compensation insurance?
Employers or employees may opt in or out of securing workers compensation insurance if they meet the following criteria:
- Non-covered employers, those with payrolls of $20,000 or less or certain agricultural pursuits
- Corporate employees owning 10% or more of stock
- Individuals, proprietors, or partnerships
- Employers seeking coverage for volunteers and other non-covered workers
- Volunteer directors, officers, or trustees of a nonprofit organization
Submitting elections electronically in the OSCAR system is required by regulation. To submit a new election create an account.

For questions on elections, contact KDOL.WCElections@ks.gov.

Workers Compensation Division

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The Kansas Department of Labor Workers Compensation Division is responsible for the administration of the Kansas workers compensation laws and rules. Our goal is to ensure employees injured at work, employers, health care providers and insurance carriers receive timely, impartial and fair claim resolution.

Download this guide to learn more about workers compensation law.

Download Here

Speakers Bureau
Publications
Annual Reports and Closed Claims

Would you like one of our professional staff to make a presentation to your group? Please contact Ryan.Boswell@ks.gov from the Workers Compensation Division with your request.

Topics to be covered include:

General workers compensation issues
Training for employers
Insurance carriers, agents and other interested parties

Coverage and Compliance

Generally, an employer in a non-agricultural business, with more than $20,000 in gross annual payroll in a calendar year, must fulfill two requirements under the Workers Compensation Act:

Secure workers compensation coverage for employees.
File reports of alleged work accidents.

To verify an employer has Workers Compensation Insurance, click the button below!
Verify Here

To learn more about how to obtain workers compensation insurance refer to our Workers Compensation Information Guide.

NOTE: Failure to secure workers compensation benefits or report accidents may lead to fines for the employer and could even result in business closure.

Coverage Usage Data

To interpret the chart below:

The User Count is the number of times any user separately linked to the site in a given month.
The Search Count is the number of times the user conducted an initial search.
Employer Details Provided is the number of times the user clicks on a different link in the initial search results.
Claims Processing Info Searches is the number of times the user clicks on a link to obtain contact information for the claims processor.
Gaps in the counts are due to system upgrades or software update issues.

NOTE: Usage data is obtained from the host of the Coverage Verification Service (CVS) search site.

CVS Usage April 2024

External Resources

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