Do Drug-Free Workplaces Save on Workers’ Comp Insurance in Florida?

As an employer, finding ways to lower your Workers’ Compensation insurance premiums is important. One way to do this is by taking the steps to make your workplace drug-free in Florida.

If you choose to establish a drug-free workplace in Florida, you can save on Workers’ Compensation insurance. Florida provides a 5% premium credit for companies that maintain drug-free workplaces. By creating a drug-free workplace, your company can benefit from fewer workplace accidents and lost work days, which might further lower your Workers’ Compensation insurance premiums in Florida. You need to take certain steps to establish a drug-free workplace. Don’t hesitate to reach out to our Florida Workers’ Compensation insurance brokers if you have any questions on how drug-free workplaces can help lower your premiums.

Our brokers are here to help employers in Florida get the Workers’ Compensation coverage they need to stay protected. To learn more about the Florida Workers’ Compensation insurance brokers at NPN Brokers, call today at (561) 990-3022.

How Can You Save on Workers’ Comp Insurance if You Have a Drug-Free Workplace in Florida?

In Florida, companies that take the necessary steps to be a drug-free workplace can save on Workers’ Compensation insurance costs. In addition to a mandatory 5% premium discount for Workers’ Compensation insurance, drug-free workplaces can save by lessening the number of workplace accidents and more easily denying claims from accidents related to drug or alcohol use.

State-Mandated Premium Discount

Florida incentivizes companies to establish drug-free workplaces by offering a 5% premium discount to those that do, according to Florida Administrative Code Rule 69L-5.220. This means that if your company takes the necessary steps to maintain a drug-free environment, it can reduce spending on Workers’ Compensation insurance premiums by up to 5%. In addition to the state-mandated discount, some Workers’ Compensation insurance companies might respond positively to your commitment to maintaining a drug-free working environment and further lower your insurance premiums in Florida. To learn what this might mean for your current policy, speak with our Florida Small Business Workers’ Compensation insurance brokers.

Fewer Workplace Accidents

When workplaces in Florida are explicitly drug-free, and companies enforce that with regular drug testing in accordance with Fla. Stats. § 440.02 and §112.0455, there may be fewer workplace accidents. Drug or alcohol use on the job might lead to increased workplace injuries that result in Workers’ Compensation claims. If an employer can’t prove that a worker was under the influence at the time of an accident, a claim might be approved. By creating a drug-free environment for your employees in Florida, you can lower the number of workplace injuries. This means fewer Workers’ Compensation insurance claims, which might lead to lower premiums for your business in Florida.

Increased Productivity in the Workplace

When employees in Florida partake in drug or alcohol use, they may miss more days than their peers. By enforcing a drug-free workplace, you can not only take advantage of a premium discount for Workers’ Compensation insurance in Florida but also increase productivity in the workplace and reduce the number of lost days due to injuries caused by drug or alcohol use on the job.

Denial of Workers’ Compensation Claims for Drug Use

If an employee tests positive for drugs or alcohol after a workplace accident in Florida, their Workers’ Compensation insurance claim may be denied. If you have an explicitly drug-free workplace, a positive drug test result may allow a Workers’ Compensation insurance carrier to presume that an employee was under the influence at the time of an accident, giving them a legitimate reason to deny a claim. Fewer approved Workers’ Compensation insurance claims means fewer benefits paid out to employees, which can help your company keep premiums low in Florida.

How to Establish a Drug-Free Workplace to Save on Workers’ Compensation Insurance in Florida

Establishing a drug-free workplace and qualifying for a reduction in Workers’ Compensation insurance premiums can be a complicated process. Florida has several pieces of legislation dedicated to this matter. For more information about establishing a drug-free workplace and how doing so can positively impact your premiums, contact our Florida Workers’ Compensation insurance brokers.

Inform Employees About the Drug-Free Workplace

Before taking advantage of the benefits of having a drug-free workplace, employers in Florida must inform their employees of their plans. This typically includes a general statement that includes which drugs employees may be tested for, what the testing process might look like, and the possible ramifications of a positive test result. According to Fla. Stat. § 440.02(3)(a)(12)(b), if you do not currently have a drug-free program and are just instituting one, you will have to provide a 60-day grace period between informing employees of a program and the first testing date.

Conduct the Necessary Tests

In order to maintain a drug-free workplace program in Florida, you have to conduct the following tests:

• Job applicant drug testing
• Reasonable suspicion drug testing
• Routine fitness-for-duty drug testing
• Follow-up drug testing

The type of drug testing that most impacts employers for Workers’ Compensation insurance purposes is reasonable suspicion drug testing. If you believe an employee’s recent workplace injuries were sustained because they were under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you can submit them for drug testing in Florida.

Meet Additional Requirements

In addition to informing employees of a drug-free workplace program and regularly testing them when necessary, employers must also protect the privacy and confidentiality of a worker’s positive drug testing results. By staying in accordance with these requirements and other requirements set by Florida law, you can create a drug-free workplace and take advantage of a 5% Workers’ Compensation insurance premium discount.

Call Our Florida Brokers to Get Workers’ Comp Insurance for Your Drug-Free Workplace Today

If you need to get Workers’ Compensation insurance for your drug-free workplace in Florida, our brokers can help. To learn more about the Florida Workers’ Compensation insurance brokers at NPN Brokers, call today at (561) 990-3022.