Workers Compensation Insurance California
Workers’ compensation (WC) is the California coverage that generally pays statutory medical and disability benefits when an employee is injured in the course of employment, and it is the usual exclusive-remedy system for those injuries. ESI Insurance Brokers is an independent San Francisco property and casualty broker — Express Service Insurance Agency, Inc. dba ESI Insurance Brokers, 2085 Van Ness Avenue — that helps employers review WC and request quotes. We are a broker, not a carrier, and we do not set bureau rates or assign classification codes.
Start at Get a Quote (Workers Compensation Insurance) or the workers’ compensation quote form.
Who this coverage is for
Most California employers with employees need workers’ compensation. That includes corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and many sole proprietors once they have workers who are employees under California law. Officer and owner inclusion or exclusion is a separate, form-driven question. Independent-contractor labels do not by themselves decide whether WC is required; misclassification is a California compliance issue, not a marketing slogan. If you are a contractor bidding public or private work, project owners often require evidence of WC on the certificate.
- California employers hiring W-2 employees
- Contractors and service firms that must show WC on bid documents
- Businesses adding payroll, a new location, or a new class of work
- Employers approaching audit or renewal who want the submission updated
What California workers’ compensation addresses
A WC policy is built around California’s statutory benefit system, not around a menu of optional “perks.” It generally responds to work-related injury and illness as defined by the law and the policy, including medical treatment and disability benefits the statute provides, and employer’s liability as the policy describes. Classification, estimated payroll, and experience (when an experience modification applies) affect premium. Those inputs come from how the business actually operates and from the rating organization — not from invented class codes or advertised rates on this page.
- Statutory workers’ compensation benefits for covered employees
- Employer’s liability as written on the policy
- Certificates of insurance for owners, general contractors, and agencies that require evidence of WC
- Payroll reporting and year-end audit, which reconcile estimates to actual payroll
California notes
California has a competitive workers’ compensation market. The State Compensation Insurance Fund exists as a market in the state; eligibility and whether a given employer is placed there or elsewhere is an underwriting outcome, not a promise. This page does not list class codes, published rates, or “average premiums,” because those figures depend on payroll, class, experience, and the insurer. Bring current payroll by job duty, any existing experience modification worksheet, officer names, and a description of operations when you request a quote.
WC is not general liability, not disability insurance for non-occupational illness, and not a substitute for employment practices liability. See General Liability Insurance in California for third-party injury to non-employees.
Agency license CA 0G83954. Producer Daniel Masarsky CA 0D87510. 2085 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94109. Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (415) 440-5136.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need workers’ compensation if I have only a few employees?
California WC rules are driven by whether you have employees, not by a marketing minimum on this website. If you have staff, assume you need to review the requirement with the quote and, if needed, with counsel. Start the WC form with accurate payroll and job duties.
Will you quote a class code or a rate on this page?
No. Classification and rate are specific to the operation and the market. Inventing them here would be misleading. The application and the insurer’s underwriting determine class and premium.
How do I start a California WC quote?
Use the workers’ compensation quote form or Get a Quote. You can also contact ESI at (415) 440-5136.
