| WAC 296-17-90421 |  | |
Sponsoring organization - Retro group business and industry selection
Washington law (RCW 51.18.040) requires retro groups to be made up of employer members who are engaged in substantially similar business operations when the nature of their services or work activities of employees is considered.
Your responsibility
To ensure that this requirement is met at the time you submit the application for group to L&I
You must:
Select the single business or industry category that will apply to the retro group you seek to sponsor from the categories listed below:
Note: For further information, you can download a printable version of the Business & Industry Category Guide (71 KB PDF), containing detailed explanations of these categories and corresponding
risk classifications. (To request an alternate format, please send us e‑mail (Retro@Lni.wa.gov) or call 360‑902‑4851.)
 Get Help Downloading Files (files open in a new window). |
- Agriculture and related services, including services related to the care and breeding of animals, and all agricultural related activities including growing, harvesting, packing, and processing for shipment.
- Automotive, truck and boat, manufacturing, sales, repair and related services.
- Construction and related services.
- Distillation, chemicals, food and related services.
- Entertainment, hospitality and related services.
- Facilities, property management, maintenance and related services.
- Government, utilities, schools, healthcare and related services.
- Grocery stores, grocery distribution centers, bakeries, milk and dairy products processing, delivery to customers and related services.
- Healthcare, pharmaceutical, laboratories and related services.
- Logging and wood products manufacturing and related services.
- Manufacturing, processing, mining, quarrying, and related services.
- Retail and wholesale stores and professional services such as banks and law firms and related services.
- Temporary help and related services.
- Transportation, recycle, warehousing, facility maintenance and related services.
| Example: An organization that was formed to advance the interests of apple growers would select the agriculture and related services business/industry group plan. This organization could sponsor a single group for all its grower members or could offer different performance groups for its grower members. |
Our responsibility
Upon receipt of your application for group
We will:
- Update our records to reflect the category selected by the sponsoring organization.
- Screen prospective group members to ensure that their business operations fit appropriately in the category selected.
- Send you a list of the businesses that we determine fit appropriately in the category selected and those that do not.
| Note: Only those members whose business undertakings are substantially similar to the industry/business group selected by the organization will be permitted to participate. This grouping technique is fundamental to workers' compensation insurance and is referred to as "homogeneity of risk." Once an employer has been approved for a group, they remain approved provided their industrial insurance account is in good standing during the enrollment or reenrollment process. |
| Example: Having selected the agriculture and related services business/industry grouping, the department would verify that the employer members of the apple grower organization were either apple growers or were involved in a related service such as an apple processing operation owned by the grower. |
[Statutory Authority: RCW 51.18.010(1) (www.leg.wa.gov). 02-23-089, § 296-17-90421, filed 11/20/02, effective 1/1/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 51.18.010(2) (www.leg.wa.gov). 01-23-058, § 296-17-90421, filed 11/20/01, effective 1/1/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 51.18.010 (www.leg.wa.gov). 00-11-060, § 296-17-90421, filed 5/12/00, effective 7/1/00.]
The courts can take judicial notice of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) only as published by the Office of the Code Reviser (www.LEG.wa.gov). The text contained in this web page may reflect minor changes when compared with the WAC.
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