Workers’ Comp for Restaurants
Every industry has its own set of risks, and food service is no different. Owners and employees face many hazards on a daily basis, including getting burned or cutting off a finger. No really, in all seriousness, those working in restaurants are constantly dodging injuries like slipping on a wet floor, getting burned from an open flame, or suffering from a back injury by lifting heavy supplies.
The risks described above pertain to life inside of the restaurant itself. If you and your team venture outside of your brick and mortar, e.g. for catering, you’re facing an entirely new set of risks, like getting into a car accident or injuring yourself setting up catering equipment. That’s why you need the right type of restaurant insurance.
Why the food service industry needs workers’ compensation
One of the great, and often overlooked, benefits of having restaurant workers’ comp insurance is the peace of mind that comes with it. When you’re in food and bev, you know what it means to be stressed. And you know how it feels to worry. And you also know how much of a pain logistics can be.
Having the proper protection ensures that you and your employees will be covered in the event of a work-related illness or injury. When you work in a kitchen, there’s open fire and sharp objects everywhere, with plenty of room for error. Knowing that your staff is covered if something happens will help ease your worries.
Hurt or sick on the job? Workers’ comp will cover the costs
A peace of mind is great and all, but not having to deal with massive medical bills is pretty neat, too. If you or an employee gets hurt while working, your workers’ compensation policy will cover the medical bills associated with the incident.
In addition to medical costs, the costs resulting from employee lawsuits, attorney’s fees, and other court fees are also covered, which is the great benefit of a workers’ comp insurance policy. Not only that, if you or an employee has to take time off of work to recover, lost wages will be reimbursed.
I own a restaurant. Do I need workers’ comp?
If you have employees, the answer is likely yes. Although the rules and requirements vary by state, most states mandate business owners to carry workers’ compensation insurance if they have people working for them.
Even if you don’t have employees, the state you live in may still require you to have workers’ comp coverage for yourself. Not sure what your state requires? Ask one of our agents.
How to manage your risk working in the food industry
Enforcing safety tactics and procedures won’t eliminate risk entirely, but it will surely mitigate many of the liabilities that come with food service.
First, make sure your staff is dressed appropriately. Have your employees wear closed toes shoes with proper tread to minimize slip and fall accidents. Long hair should be tied back to reduce exposure to open flames.
Provide the proper equipment necessary to work safely in your restaurant, including protected storage areas for sharp objects.
Finally, holding employee trainings is always beneficial to remind your staff of proper safety techniques, whether it’s how to lift heavy items or how to properly slice and dice the delicious food your restaurant prepares.
Restaurant workers’ comp rates
Restaurant workers’ comp rates depend on what you do, where you do it, and how many employees you have. This type of insurance is state regulated, so prices vary based on your location. Workers’ comp rates for restaurants are also dictated by your payroll, so the more employees you have, greater your costs will be.
Check our workers’ comp cost analysis to learn more.
Wondering how much workers’ comp costs for your restaurant? Get a free estimate.
How to save money on restaurant workers’ comp insurance
Although you may be required to carry workers’ comp for your employees by law, it’s not always mandated that you must have the coverage for yourself.
A lot of times with workers’ comp insurance the restaurant owner is able to choose to include or exclude themselves from coverage. By excluding yourself, you still get the benefit of covering your employees, but don’t have to pay the costs associated with covering yourself as well.
Don’t have any employees?
If you don’t have employees, a minimum premium workers’ comp policy, also known as a ghost policy, may be the right fit for you.This coverage provides you your Certificate of Insurance, but excludes you from coverage, which cuts your costs. In fact, it’s essentially the least expensive form of workers’ comp in the industry.
The benefit of our minimum premium policy is that it’s packaged with an accident policy, which provides 24-hour accident coverage in the event of an incident. With us, you get more protection, and it’s more affordable than our competitors.
We can save you money.
Restaurant workers’ comp insurance rates are much less than paying for a workers’ comp claim. We compare rates from over 30 insurance companies to get you the best coverage at the lowest price possible.
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