Wisconsin’s system has stood the test of time.
Wisconsin’s worker’s compensation system is one of the most stable and low-cost in the nation. The Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Advisory Council provides a platform to keep the system up to date. We can learn from the mistakes other states have made with their worker’s comp systems (see below). With more than 30 new members of the Wisconsin Legislature set to take office in January 2023, the Worker’s Comp Works Coalition is focused on educating those legislatures about the system, why it works, and why our partners support it.
The failure in Oklahoma
In 2014 employers in Oklahoma were given the option to opt out of worker’s comp. Two years later the Oklahoma Supreme Court decided that all workers were entitled to injury benefit packages. The experience cost employers millions of dollars and compromised the rights of tens of thousands of workers.
The Texas opt-out
In Texas, companies can opt-out of traditional worker’s compensation insurance and self-insure. Companies are allowed to virtually write their own policies - creating rules and requirements that greatly disadvantage injured workers.
Some require workers to report an injury by the end of their shift or forfeit any right to coverage. This means if a worker is hurt during the day but believes that the injury is not serious, if they are wrong, they are stuck dealing with the consequences of the injury on their own.
“The ultimate measure of any system is the satisfaction of those who use it. Wisconsin’s reliance on the Worker’s Compensation Advisory Council has provided an unparalleled level of that satisfaction, for employer and employee alike.”
— Attorney Michael Gillick— Chairman of the Labor & Industry Review Commission