You may have a question of "how'd they find out that I did not have workers' compensation coverage?"
Well there are several ways that you got that Stop Work Order (SWO):
- Most common is the random site visit. This is when the Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) investigator drives by a construction site and just checks up on the people working there.
- The other common method is when the DWC checks the Unemployment Compensation Tax (UCT) rolls and looks at companies with more than three employees, then cross checks those companies with their workers' compensation insurance coverage data base. This method is increasing in use as the technology becomes more refined. When I first started in this field in 2007, this method wasn't invented!
- The other way may be from an anonymous "referral," such as a former worker, a business competitor, or someone with an axe to grind, like a vindictive ex-spouse.
- The other method is when the DWC does statewide sweeps, where they will gather a team of investigators, coordinate a target, usually a giant condo or apartment complex in the middle stage of construction, and then descend on the job site 'en masse' and hand out SWOs to every business they find out of compliance.
- The final way, fortunately, happens very infrequently, but the injured worker will attempt to secure workers' compensation coverage, finds out that there is none, and then calls the DWC.
Whatever way, shape, or form, that Stop Work Order comes in, you, as a business owner must take it very seriously, since there are potential felony charges that could be levied against you and large financial penalties levied against your company. Please contact our firm, we are eager to help you and have handled more SWO trials than any of our competitors. Experience counts.