Workers' Comp audit now due (California)

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five.five-six

Senior Member
Location
california
So, I get this email, it seems legit, what should I expect?

Good Afternoon,

In an effort to remain compliant and current we like to send courtesy reminders to our clients of any and all past due items and /OR balances that may be owed.

A routine payroll audit is required for the policy referenced five.five-six. The purpose of this audit is to verify premium, business operations and policy information in accordance with the provisions of your State Fund workers? compensation insurance policy.

You must call the auditor within 10 days from date on notice to schedule your appointment and confirm audit location.

The audit has been scheduled as follows:

Date: Some day wayyy too soon
Time: middle of the freaking day, no work that day

Please allow a two-hour window for auditor?s arrival.

If your records are not at the location listed above, or if you need to reschedule the appointment please contact the underwriter assigned to your audit. This is located on the attached sheet.
Should you have any questions for us, feel free to contact us.
Thank you and have a wonderful day!


I'm a 1 man show, the only reason I even bought workers comp is that it was a prerequisite to bid a juicy municipal job last year that I didn't get.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
So, I get this email, it seems legit, what should I expect?




I'm a 1 man show, the only reason I even bought workers comp is that it was a prerequisite to bid a juicy municipal job last year that I didn't get.

Workers comp rates are based on the number of employees and what they do.

They want to verify how many employees you have, it should be quick and painless for a one man show. They likely doubt you work alone.
 
Call the auditor and tell that their proposed time is not available and suggest 2-3 that are OK with your schedule. This won't be the first time they've had a conflict.

You could also offer to bring the records to their office for inspection, sometime during a 2 hour window :D.
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
It is legit as far as I can tell. They usually do that in April or may around here. They used to come to the office , then they just did phone calls and I would send them a quickbook file. Now they just send me a form to fill out and then they figure out whether I owe more money or not
 

Fulthrotl

~Autocorrect is My Worst Enema.~
So, I get this email, it seems legit, what should I expect?

I'm a 1 man show, the only reason I even bought workers comp is that it was a
prerequisite to bid a juicy municipal job last year that I didn't get.

it's legit.

i, being a one man band as well, had a client who required it before they
gave me all this wonderful work.

after a year, they had not given me enough, gross, to pay for the premium.

so, when i got this notice, i called up state fund, and cancelled the policy,
as i had, during that year, employed no person.

i got this asian speaking horrible english, who said they had the right to
conduct an audit at my place of business, and they were coming.
she was quite rude, and somewhat abusive.

i cancelled the policy, got a bill for an additional $700 in addition to the
$1,500 opening payment i'd made, and then, 'cause i did not allow them
the audit, they suspended my C-10.

after i got that straightened out, there was nobody left in sacramento
to process the reinstatement of my C-10 for 14 months. i finally got my
C-10 reinstated when it's normal renewal time came around. nobody
ever did actually reinstate it, to correct their shortcoming.

YMMV. my experience was, california infrastructure sucks. give them their audit,
and THEN cancel the policy.

when i reach the need for workers comp, i'll do it with a private company.
it'll cost more than state fund, but it's money well spent.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
it's legit.

i, being a one man band as well, had a client who required it before they
gave me all this wonderful work.

after a year, they had not given me enough, gross, to pay for the premium.

so, when i got this notice, i called up state fund, and cancelled the policy,
as i had, during that year, employed no person.

i got this asian speaking horrible english, who said they had the right to
conduct an audit at my place of business, and they were coming.
she was quite rude, and somewhat abusive.

i cancelled the policy, got a bill for an additional $700 in addition to the
$1,500 opening payment i'd made, and then, 'cause i did not allow them
the audit, they suspended my C-10.

after i got that straightened out, there was nobody left in sacramento
to process the reinstatement of my C-10 for 14 months. i finally got my
C-10 reinstated when it's normal renewal time came around. nobody
ever did actually reinstate it, to correct their shortcoming.

YMMV. my experience was, california infrastructure sucks. give them their audit,
and THEN cancel the policy.

when i reach the need for workers comp, i'll do it with a private company.
it'll cost more than state fund, but it's money well spent.

I imagine things vary from state to state.

I just got a refund a few days ago from my audit which was done a couple months ago. State was not directly involved at all though they probably have some influence on how workers comp insurance operates. My general liability carrier also administers my workers comp - though I think funds for that policy are handled differently then many other policies I have through this insurance company - probably because the state has their hand in it more.

If you don't complete the audit, you don't get any refund of overpayments in premium, your premium is estimated - and will be estimated high based on any information they do have and may even increase for the next audit period. You are the one losing if you don't fill out audit information. Whether or not someone comes to your business to perform audit maybe depends on some conditions. I would think a small operation with few employees they likely do most of it via phone, email or even snail mail.

I can see some concern over wondering if a sudden random email is legitimate, call whoever it is that issues your policy and check it out if you are concerned. (don't call any number in the suspicious mail until you have verified it is legitimate). My company sent a notice out a couple weeks before the auditor (which was a third party) sent out audit information requests.
 

hugh6177

Member
Location
Charlevoix, MI
It's Legit in MI

It's Legit in MI

It's legit in MI, as others have stated premium is estimated and you should get a refund if you were a one man show. I would also follow other's advice on telling them a few times that fit's YOUR schedule... I was always able to fill out their "Audit" (two pages) and send in via snail mail. (This was in another industry, but should be the same across the board, at least in MI).
 

Sierrasparky

Senior Member
Location
USA
Occupation
Electrician ,contractor
It's legit in MI, as others have stated premium is estimated and you should get a refund if you were a one man show. I would also follow other's advice on telling them a few times that fit's YOUR schedule... I was always able to fill out their "Audit" (two pages) and send in via snail mail. (This was in another industry, but should be the same across the board, at least in MI).


there are still minimum policy costs regardless of payroll. So expect a minimum fee.
 

Ponchik

Senior Member
Location
CA
Occupation
Electronologist
A policy audit is legit.

However, I don't think the state will "email' the client regarding an audit. The state and federal business is usually in a hard letter form.

Call the state fund workman compensation office directly and see if you are up for an audit. Do Not Call the phone number on the email.
 

five.five-six

Senior Member
Location
california
So, they suspended your C10 for not giving the audit? I hate this state so very much.

it's legit.

i, being a one man band as well, had a client who required it before they
gave me all this wonderful work.

after a year, they had not given me enough, gross, to pay for the premium.

so, when i got this notice, i called up state fund, and cancelled the policy,
as i had, during that year, employed no person.

i got this asian speaking horrible english, who said they had the right to
conduct an audit at my place of business, and they were coming.
she was quite rude, and somewhat abusive.

i cancelled the policy, got a bill for an additional $700 in addition to the
$1,500 opening payment i'd made, and then, 'cause i did not allow them
the audit, they suspended my C-10.

after i got that straightened out, there was nobody left in sacramento
to process the reinstatement of my C-10 for 14 months. i finally got my
C-10 reinstated when it's normal renewal time came around. nobody
ever did actually reinstate it, to correct their shortcoming.

YMMV. my experience was, california infrastructure sucks. give them their audit,
and THEN cancel the policy.

when i reach the need for workers comp, i'll do it with a private company.
it'll cost more than state fund, but it's money well spent.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
So, they suspended your C10 for not giving the audit? I hate this state so very much.
Yet you are still there:)

Every time I get frustrated with something involving the state I have to think of some of the stories I hear about that happen in other states and then realize things could be worse.
 

Fulthrotl

~Autocorrect is My Worst Enema.~
A policy audit is legit.

However, I don't think the state will "email' the client regarding an audit. The state and federal business is usually in a hard letter form.

Call the state fund workman compensation office directly and see if you are up for an audit. Do Not Call the phone number on the email.

good point... i am pretty sure i got a hard copy in the mail.
it's been 7 or 8 years ago. i'm lucky if i can remember where
my tool pail is at anymore.

quickest way to tell, is if you get a snarky asian lady on the phone who
speaks poor english, i'd say it's legitimate.... :p
 

five.five-six

Senior Member
Location
california
She was actually a fairly attractive Caucasian woman. The whole thing went pretty smoothly and I think it and I think I'm getting $38 back lol. She just want to see my checkbook to make sure that I didn't have anybody I was paying regularly that wasn't my partner on my dentist.
good point... i am pretty sure i got a hard copy in the mail.
it's been 7 or 8 years ago. i'm lucky if i can remember where
my tool pail is at anymore.

quickest way to tell, is if you get a snarky asian lady on the phone who
speaks poor english, i'd say it's legitimate.... :p
 
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