Question: What is the current workers’ compensation rate in Florida for clerical employees?
It depends on the classification code for the employees. Most clerical employees fall into the 8810 class code, but there are a few other classifications for clerical employees:
8803 - This classification code is assigned to traveling clerical-type employees of risks engaged in the business of providing accounting, auditing, office systemization, computer programming or related clerical services for their clients. Employees assigned to Code 8803 will be performing clerical work when they arrive at a client’s location but because of the combined exposure of traveling and clerical work, Code 8803 is assigned to their payrolls instead of other available clerical classifications. As Code 8803’s phraseology does not include “Clerical,” any non-traveling clerical office employees of risks providing the services described above for their clients are properly assigned to the appropriate clerical classification provided that these employees meet Basic Manual requirements for assignment of their payroll to the appropriate clerical class. This classification does not apply to traveling clerical employees of business concerns such as banks, manufacturers, chain stores, restaurants, hotels, gasoline stations, etc., who perform clerical duties at their temporary location. These traveling clerical employees, sometimes referred to as “internal auditors,” may travel to various branches and remain at these branches for a period of several days or weeks, auditing or monitoring procedures at these locations. These employees are not classified to Code 8803 because their employers are not in the business of providing auditing or accounting services for others; they are assigned to the appropriate clerical classification. The Florida rate for this classification in 2007 was 0.24 and in 2008 it is now 0.23 dollars for every 100 dollars of remuneration.
8820 - This classification code is all-inclusive for employees of attorneys or law offices. The employee exposure is principally inside office work; however, the scope includes outside exposure of trial attorneys and attorneys, paralegals and other employees involved in investigative work. In addition, insureds engaged in the business of providing court reporters who take depositions in law offices or other comparable locations and record legal proceedings have been assigned to Code 8820. The code is designed to be used for all employees of a business engaged in the above legal operations and this classification is not to be used with any other classification code unless the operations subject to Code 8820 are conducted as a separate and distinct business. Because of this, this classification is not intended to apply to “in-house” attorneys employed by business organizations. The Florida rate for this classification in 2007 was 0.36 and in 2008 it is now 0.29 dollars for every 100 dollars of remuneration.
8861 - This classification code is assigned to employees of institutions that provide charitable, welfare, or social services to mentally, physically, or emotionally challenged persons, troubled youth, children in crisis, abused persons, persons with financial and employment hardships, and other related people in need. Charitable, welfare, or social service organizations may offer these individuals sleeping accommodations, meals, on-site counseling, case management or client assessments, education, and/or habilitative and vocational training and employment. This classifcation is used for the clerical employees and includes administrators, counselors, executive directors, resource and referral specialists, and case managers who coordinate the services of a variety of organizations in the interest of an individual or family, volunteer coordinators, outside welfare workers, classroom teachers who teach or demonstrate in a classroom environment, and medical professionals such as physicians and nurses. Professional employees who drive clients to appointments less than 20% of the total time can be assigned to Code 8861. Otherwise, they must be assigned to Code 9110 if over 20% of their time is spent driving. The Florida rate for the 9110 classification in 2007 was 6.60 and in 2008 it is now 5.89, while the Florida rate for the 8861 classification in 2007 was 1.56 and in 2008 it is now 1.53 dollars for every 100 dollars of remuneration.
8871 - This classification code is assigned to telecommuter employees, which are those that perform clerical duties in a residence office and meet other conditions described in this classification. For purposes of Code 8871, a residence office is a clerical work area located within the home of the clerical employee and it must be separate and distinct from the location of the employer. In the event an employer operates a business from a residence and the employer has clerical staff at the employer’s business location residence, these clerical employees are classified to the 8810 classification listed below. The Florida rate for the 8871 classification in 2007 was 0.63 and in 2008 it is now 0.55 dollars for every 100 dollars of remuneration.
8810 - This classification code is assigned to clerical employees that are not otherwise classified in the Scopes Basic Manual. The duties of a clerical office employee include creation or maintenance of financial or other employer records, handling correspondence, computer composition, technical drafting, and telephone duties, including sales by phone. The clerical office classification continues to apply to a qualified clerical office employee who performs a duty outside of a qualified clerical office area when that duty does not involve direct supervision or physical labor and is directly related to that employee’s duties in the office. These duties do not exclude depositing funds at the bank, purchasing office supplies, and pickup or delivery of mail, provided they are incidental and directly related to that employee’s duties in the office. However, for purposes of this rule, the definition of clerical duties excludes outside sales or outside representatives; any work exposed to the operative hazards of the business; and any work, such as a stock or tally clerk, which is necessary, incidental, or related to any operations of the business other than a clerical office. Other employments or operations assigned by analogy to Code 8810 include bank tellers; telephone answering services; designers, proofreaders, and editors of newspaper publishers or magazine printers; employees performing computerized photographic composition or automated platemaking, which is used in the graphic arts industry as well as specialists engaged in such operations; drafting personnel of consulting engineering firms; clubs employing only clerical employees; horse and dog racetrack pari-mutuel clerks and cashiers; bus terminal ticket sellers; airline or helicopter ticket sellers and information clerks away from airport or heliport locations; and employees of highway toll roads confined to keeping books and records. The Florida rate for this classification in 2007 was 0.48 and in 2008 it is now 0.37 dollars for every 100 dollars of remuneration.
there are a couple of other related classification codes such as 7403 for air traffic controllers, 8814 for clerical railroad employees, 8832 for physicians and their clerical employees, 8800 for clerical mailing and addressing employees, and 8901 for clerical employees at telephone comanies. If you would like more information about any of these classifications or information on how your own employees should be classified for Florida workers’ compensation insurance, please do not hesitate to contact our office or request a workers’ compensation quote online.
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