Workplace safety has increased, costing employers less

It is rare for a state agency to consistently work to collect less money from its constituents, but Ohio's Bureau of Workers' Compensation has turned it into an art. Back in February, the bureau's board of directors authorized a 1% rate cut for private employers, which took effect at the beginning of this month. It came on the heels of an earlier 1% rate cut for public employers, which was effective Jan. 1. Even before those changes went into effect, the bureau said the state's approximately 245,000 employers (public and private) were paying the lowest average workers' compensation premium rates in more than 65 years. Rates have been reduced by 50% for private employers since Gov. Mike DeWine took office. "Our rates in Ohio are among the lowest in the country," said BWC Administrator Stephanie McCloud. "This reduction represents this administration's long-standing commitment to Ohio's employers." The change is made possible, in part, by the employers, themselves. "This reduction is a reflection of Ohio's focus on workplace safety," DeWine said. "The hard work and dedication that Ohio employers put into workplace safety is what has allowed us to reduce rates for the last seven years." If employers are doing a better job keeping their workers safe on the job, it is only right that the BWC is working to help them keep more of their money to reinvest in doing better for those workers and for their customers. And it is a testament to both the employers and the bureau that this has been such a long-running trend. Well done, to those who continue to make it happen.