Understanding Workers’ Compensation in Florida’s Construction Industry

Read­ing Time: 4 min­utes

Last Updat­ed on April 18, 2023 

Learn about Flori­da’s con­struc­tion indus­try work­ers’ com­pen­sa­tion require­ments, work­place safe­ty mea­sures, and FAQs to help employ­ers pro­tect their employ­ees and stay com­pli­ant with state regulations.

Workers’ Compensation in Florida’s Construction Industry: Requirements and Coverage Explained

The con­struc­tion indus­try is a thriv­ing sec­tor in Flori­da, employ­ing numer­ous indi­vid­u­als and con­tribut­ing sig­nif­i­cant­ly to the state’s econ­o­my. How­ev­er, it is also an indus­try with poten­tial risks, which neces­si­tates the pro­vi­sion of ade­quate work­ers’ com­pen­sa­tion cov­er­age for all employ­ees involved. In this arti­cle, we’ll delve into the require­ments and key aspects of work­ers’ com­pen­sa­tion for employ­ers in Flori­da’s con­struc­tion sector.

Workers’ Compensation Requirements for Florida’s Construction Industry

Employ­ers with one or more employ­ees in Flori­da’s con­struc­tion indus­try must pro­vide work­ers’ com­pen­sa­tion cov­er­age. This require­ment includes cor­po­rate offi­cers, Lim­it­ed Lia­bil­i­ty Com­pa­ny (LLC) mem­bers, and even the own­er of the busi­ness. For a com­pre­hen­sive list of trades con­sid­ered part of the con­struc­tion indus­try, refer to 69L‑6.021 Flori­da Admin­is­tra­tive Code.

What Does Workers’ Compensation Cover?

• Med­ical expens­es relat­ed to work­place injuries or illnesses 
• Lost wages for employ­ees unable to work due to work­place injuries or illnesses 
• Voca­tion­al reha­bil­i­ta­tion for employ­ees who require train­ing or edu­ca­tion to return to work after an injury or illness 
• Death ben­e­fits for the fam­i­ly of an employ­ee who pass­es away due to a work-relat­ed injury or illness

Workers’ Compensation Exemptions

Cer­tain indi­vid­u­als may be exempt from work­ers’ com­pen­sa­tion cov­er­age. Con­struc­tion indus­try employ­ers should be aware of these exemp­tions and ensure they are in com­pli­ance with Flori­da state law.

• Sole pro­pri­etors or part­ners of an unin­cor­po­rat­ed busi­ness may apply for an exemp­tion from work­ers’ com­pen­sa­tion coverage. 
• Cor­po­rate offi­cers or LLC mem­bers with at least 10% own­er­ship in the com­pa­ny may apply for an exemption. 
• Some agri­cul­tur­al employ­ers and employ­ees may be exempt from work­ers’ com­pen­sa­tion requirements.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

Fail­ure to pro­vide work­ers’ com­pen­sa­tion cov­er­age for employ­ees in the con­struc­tion indus­try can result in severe con­se­quences, including:

• Fines and penal­ties for non-compliance 
• Crim­i­nal charges for know­ing­ly fail­ing to pro­vide coverage 
• Civ­il law­suits by injured employ­ees or their families 
• Stop-work orders, which halt busi­ness oper­a­tions until cov­er­age is obtained

Finding the Right Workers’ Compensation Coverage

To ensure com­pli­ance with Flori­da state law and pro­vide pro­tec­tion for employ­ees, con­struc­tion indus­try employ­ers should take the fol­low­ing steps:

• Research dif­fer­ent insur­ance providers to find the best fit for your company. 
• Obtain quotes from mul­ti­ple providers to com­pare cov­er­age options and pricing. 
• Review your com­pa­ny’s spe­cif­ic needs and choose a pol­i­cy that meets your requirements. 
• Pro­vide proof of work­ers’ com­pen­sa­tion cov­er­age to the state and main­tain accu­rate records. 
• Reg­u­lar­ly review your pol­i­cy and update cov­er­age as need­ed to account for changes in your busi­ness, such as employ­ee count, trade clas­si­fi­ca­tions, or com­pa­ny growth. 
• Ensure your employ­ees are aware of their work­ers’ com­pen­sa­tion ben­e­fits and the pro­ce­dure for report­ing injuries or illnesses. 
• Imple­ment safe­ty mea­sures and train­ing pro­grams to reduce the risk of work­place acci­dents and injuries. 
• Stay informed about any changes to work­ers’ com­pen­sa­tion laws or reg­u­la­tions in Flori­da that may impact your business.

Conclusion

Nav­i­gat­ing the require­ments of work­ers’ com­pen­sa­tion cov­er­age in Flori­da’s con­struc­tion indus­try can be chal­leng­ing. By under­stand­ing the state’s reg­u­la­tions, pro­vid­ing appro­pri­ate cov­er­age, and keep­ing up-to-date on indus­try stan­dards, employ­ers can pro­tect both their employ­ees and their busi­ness­es from poten­tial risks. By ensur­ing your busi­ness com­plies with Flori­da’s work­ers’ com­pen­sa­tion laws, you con­tribute to cre­at­ing a safer and more secure work­ing envi­ron­ment for every­one involved.

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FAQ

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Glossary:

Term	Def­i­n­i­tion
69L‑6.021 Flori­da Admin­is­tra­tive Code	The sec­tion of the Flori­da Admin­is­tra­tive Code that defines the trades con­sid­ered to be part of the con­struc­tion indus­try and out­lines work­ers’ com­pen­sa­tion requirements.
Cor­po­rate officers	Indi­vid­u­als who hold exec­u­tive posi­tions with­in a cor­po­ra­tion, such as the pres­i­dent, vice pres­i­dent, sec­re­tary, or trea­sur­er. In Flori­da’s con­struc­tion indus­try, they are includ­ed in work­ers’ com­pen­sa­tion cov­er­age requirements.
Exemp­tions	Spe­cif­ic cas­es where indi­vid­u­als or busi­ness­es are not required to pro­vide work­ers’ com­pen­sa­tion cov­er­age. In Flori­da, exemp­tions can be applied for and approved by the state.
Per­son­al Pro­tec­tive Equip­ment (PPE)	Safe­ty gear and equip­ment designed to pro­tect employ­ees from work­place haz­ards, includ­ing hard hats, safe­ty gog­gles, high-vis­i­bil­i­ty vests, steel-toed boots, gloves, earplugs or ear­muffs, and res­pi­ra­to­ry pro­tec­tion devices.
Stop-work orders	Orders issued by the Flori­da Divi­sion of Work­ers’ Com­pen­sa­tion that require a busi­ness to cease oper­a­tions until they obtain ade­quate work­ers’ com­pen­sa­tion coverage.

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Additional questions:

• Flori­da con­struc­tion indus­try work­ers’ com­pen­sa­tion requirements
• Work­place safe­ty mea­sures in Flori­da construction
• Exemp­tions for work­ers’ com­pen­sa­tion in Florida
• Per­son­al pro­tec­tive equip­ment for con­struc­tion workers
• Penal­ties for non-com­pli­ance in Flori­da con­struc­tion industry

Additional Resources

1. Flori­da Divi­sion of Work­ers’ Com­pen­sa­tion: https://www.myfloridacfo.com/division/wc/
2. Flori­da Admin­is­tra­tive Code (69L‑6.021) — Work­ers’ Com­pen­sa­tion Cov­er­age Require­ments and Penal­ties for the Con­struc­tion Indus­try: https://www.flrules.org/gateway/ruleno.asp?id=69L‑6.021
3. Flori­da Depart­ment of Finan­cial Ser­vices — Work­ers’ Com­pen­sa­tion: https://www.myfloridacfo.com/Division/WC/Employer/coverage.htm