Park County work‑comp costs rise after e-mod increases to 1.12; payroll growth also cited

An insurance presenter told Park County commissioners that the county’s workers’ compensation experience modification factor (e-mod) rose to 1.12 for the 2025–26 policy, up from roughly 0.92 in prior years, and that payroll growth drove additional premium increases.

The presenter (agency representative) explained how e-mods are calculated: they are a three‑year rolling average of loss experience compared with a national peer pool and are applied directly as a multiplier to base premium. “If you’re below 1, you’re doing good. If you’re above 1, then you’re doing worse than average,” the presenter said, describing the change as roughly a 20% increase in that factor.

Why it matters: the three‑year e‑mod change and an approximately $250,000 increase in payroll together produced a substantial rise in the county’s workers’ compensation premium on renewal. The presenter said the expiring county premium was about $144,900 and that the renewal premium rose to roughly $209,000, with the e-mod and payroll change contributing meaningfully to the increase.

Commissioners and staff discussed prevention steps focused on safety and loss control. The presentation noted Park County’s most frequent claim types include slips, trips and falls, plus manual material handling and law‑enforcement exposures such as vehicle crashes and assaults. The presenter recommended continuing safety programs, targeted training and upcoming events such as the county safety day (June 18), and said small morale and recognition efforts can help reduce claims frequency.

Ending: No formal change to policy was made at the meeting. Commissioners were encouraged to keep safety and supervisor training on the agenda to help reduce future claims and e‑mod pressure.