I work for a security firm that, within the last year, moved from Oregon to Washington. My own job site for the last 21 years has been in Oregon, and I live in Oregon. In yesterday’s paycheck was a little note that said that because the company was now based in Washington, any on-the-job injuries I have in Oregon will now be reported to the Washington Department Of Labor And Industries. The note further reads that the Washington department of Labor And Industries has determined for a small portion of the deduction is to be paid by the empoloyee-approximately 89 cents a day. I can’t contact either the Oregon or Washington Department until Monday-should I even bother?
They might be reported, but WA can not pay WC claims out to injuries in OR, as far as my knowledge goes. Doing business in WA may require partial payment (?), but WA is outside the so called “Zone of Employment”, like WAY out, another state.
Maybe there is a reciprocal agreement of some degree also??
Looking further, the note says that security personnel are to be deducted 1.09 cents per hour worked, but that the office personal will only be deducted 0.534 cents per hour worked.
I know that Washington will cover temporary out-of-state workers for 180 days, but I am a resident of Oregon licensed to work only in Oregon, and I’ve been at this job site for over twenty years.
So where actually will you be working, regardless of residence?
It’s an Oregon job site where I am now.
Hmm, you can check online or library in your state law volumes on WC, or ask next time you are at work of your HR person.
I’ll have to research-no HR department.
A while back, I worked for a company based in Virginia while living in Virginia, but the job was primarily performed at an office in DC. Afaik, all of the employment paperwork related to Virginia, e.g. taxes were withheld for Virginia. I think Virginia, Maryland, and DC pretty much have the rules squared away on interjurisdictional jobs because there are so common here - iirc one is taxed solely based on jurisdiction of residence without respect to where the work was actually done or where the company is legally headquartered.
And there’s the rub-The company is in Washington, but the job site and my residence are in Oregon. As stated before, my Washington-based company is withholding 89 cents a day for the Washington Department Of Labor And Industries, and is telling me to report to the Washington Department of Labor And Industries if I have an on-the-job accident at my Oregon job site.
I don’t know, I only know workers comp from the insurance side, but what you’re describing doesn’t sound right. If you’re injured it would be up to you to make the workers comp claim, and by everything I’ve ever heard, if you’re based in Oregon, living in Oregon, and injured in Oregon, the common and common-sense thing to do would be to file your claim in Oregon. Then it would be up to Oregon to decide whether to honor the claim, and I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t.
I’m less sure about this assessment . . . it sounds like it might be some kind of employment or licensing tax, not necessarily part of workers comp. It would be up to Washington, I guess, whether the assessment applies based on HQ state or employment base state.
Thank you. This one person was able to give me answers that no other agency(including my own company) could give me. It turns out that if a company based in Washington wishes to cover an employee working in Oregon for over 180 days for on the job injuries, they can hire an Oregon firm designed to do just that, which coordinates with the Washington Dept. of Labor and Industries. This ombudsman was able to not only get this information for me, she also gave me the name of the Oregon company covering me and the case number I am covered under.