The Department of Financial Services' Division of Workers' Compensation regulates employers and insurers to ensure prompt, accurate benefit payments and appropriate, timely services to workers injured on the job to facilitate their gainful reemployment at a reasonable cost to employers.

Florida law requires most employers to provide workers' compensation coverage for their employees. Specific employer coverage requirement are based on the type of industry, number of employees, and the organization of the entity.

The Division's website clarifies different coverage requirements by industry.

The division's Bureau of Employee Assistance and Ombudsman (EAO) Office disseminates information and carries out several other duties to assist all system participants. The bureau

• investigates disputes and facilitates resolution without undue expense, costly litigation, or delay in the provision of benefits;
• assists system participants in fulfilling their statutory responsibilities;
• educates and disseminated information to all system participants;
• initiates contacts with injured workers to discuss their rights and responsibilities and advise them of services available through EAO;
• reviews claims in which injured workers' benefits have been denied, stopped, or suspended;
• provides reemployment services to eligible injured employees who are unable to return to work as a result of their work place injuries or illnesses;
• provides for the collection, distribution and archival of the Division's imaged records, and public record information; and
• responds to requests for division data.

The division has field offices throughout the state and operates a claims hotline (1-800-342-1741) and an exemption and compliance hotline (850-413-1609). Interested parties can also search compliance records, and employers can file for exemption on the division's website. Additional assistance is available to employers through the division's Bureau of Compliance.

Employees can obtain assistance with resolving workers' compensation disputes from the Bureau of Employee Assistance & Ombudsman Office. Also, the Division of Workers' Compensation, Employee Assistance Office (EAO) helps prevent and resolve disputes between injured workers and carriers. If the insurance carrier does not provide benefits, or denies a claim, the employee can contact the EAO. Employees can also file a Petition for Benefits with the Office of the Judges of Compensation Claims.

During Fiscal Year 2019-20 the Bureau of Compliance processed 99.16% of online exemption applications within 10 days of receipt, investigated 1,268 public referrals alleging non-compliance, and collected exemption fees totaling $4,731,466. The Bureau of Compliance's efforts resulted in 2,775 new employees being covered and the generation of $2,918,597 in insurance premiums.

During the same year, the Division's Injured Worker Helpline handled 37,988 calls, with 259 disputes, and 99.6% of these disputes were resolved.  

In Fiscal Year 2019-20, overall workers' compensation claims costs decreased $6.6 million, totaling $106.5 million. Workers' compensation medical costs decreased $7.9 million, while indemnity costs increased $1.3 million.

Review of Professional Employer Organizations and Workers' Compensation, Report 21-04, March 2021

Other Reports
Worker's Compensation Fraud Joint Report, Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Investigative and Forensic Services, Bureau of Workers' Compensation Fraud and Division of Workers' Compensation, Bureau of Compliance, January 2019.
Three-Member Panel Biennial Report, Three-Member Panel, February 2019.
2018 Results & Accomplishments Report, Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Workers' Compensation.
A complete list of the division's reports is available on its website.
Websites of Interest
Division of Workers' Compensation, Reimbursement Manuals
U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs
Florida Self-Insurers Guaranty Association, Inc.
National Council on Compensation Insurance
Florida Workers' Compensation Joint Underwriting Association
Workers Compensation Research Institute
Performance Information
Performance measures and standards for the department may be found in its Long Range Program Plan.

Section 20.121 and Ch. 440, Florida Statutes.

Division of Workers' Compensation, 1-800-742-2214 (exemption and compliance) or 1-800-342-1741 (claims).

Website