Overview
The Office of the Advocate for Business is the liaison between New York’s business community and the Workers’ Compensation Board, giving employers one place to contact for answers to their questions about workers’ compensation, disability benefits and Paid Family Leave.
The Advocate for Business:
- Works with employers (particularly small business), business associations and employer groups to hear, report and offer solutions to issues they’ve been unable to resolve elsewhere;
- Assists businesses with insurance coverage problems and compliance with the Workers’ Compensation Law; and
- Educates employers and government personnel on their responsibilities and how the New York State workers’ compensation system works.
New! Introducing Anthony Tomaselli, the Board's new Advocate for Business (3/2/23)
Free webinar sessions
The Advocate for Business has been hosting monthly webinars to educate business owners/employers on the basics of the workers' compensation system, including insurance types, coverage requirements, and employers' obligations under the law.
Each one-hour session also covers:
- Who does and does not need coverage.
- How and when to report an injury or illness (including COVID-19).
- Considerations when hiring independent contractors, laborers, and domestic workers.
- Tips for lowering premiums.
- Penalties and where to go for assistance with them.
Sessions are free and there is time at the end for questions. Registration is required. To register for an upcoming session, visit the Webinars for Employers page.
Don’t want to wait? You can watch this recording of our most recent webinar:
- Protecting Yourself and Your Team: Coverage Essentials for Businesses - November 2024: Video
Ask the Advocate
In this ongoing feature, the Board's Advocate for Business addresses timely and/or frequently asked questions from business owners and employers.
Featured Q&A:
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New! Dear Advocate: The Board sent a letter to my business saying I could be issued a penalty. What does that mean? How should I respond?
Watch this short video, or read on:
When the Board says a penalty could be coming, it’s a serious matter and you should act immediately. That letter is called an Employer Non-compliance Notification. The Board sends it out when it has no record of an employer having workers’ compensation coverage. If you receive that notification, you need to do one of two things: either prove that you are complying with the law by having an active policy, or respond to the notification, advising why coverage is or was not required.
If you do have an active insurance policy that is or was active during the period indicated in the notification, it will have “New York” listed under ‘Item 3A’ on the information page of the policy. If you have such a policy, then contact your licensed insurance carrier and ask them to tell us that by submitting an electronic coverage transaction to the Board. The Board cannot process submissions of coverage received by mail, email, or fax.
If your business is legally exempt from having to get workers’ compensation coverage, tell us by responding to the notification. You can do this easily by going online to reply to the Board directly on our website, or by mailing back to the Board the form you received with the noncompliance notification.
If you don’t respond, the Board assumes you are in violation and will mail a penalty notice—and penalties can add up to tens of thousands of dollars. It’s a lot easier and less costly to have the coverage in the first place; or reply to the Board that coverage is not required as soon as you receive the notification.
If you ultimately must pay a penalty, you can do so with a check, credit card, money order, online, or through an electronic debit from a bank account. We have a web page with details on how to pay a penalty.
The key is communication. Anytime you receive mail from the Board, it’s important and should be answered promptly. That’s good for business and good for workers.
For more information, go to our website: wcb.ny.gov
If you’re having difficulty or need assistance, you can call 518-486-3331 or send us an email and you can Ask the Advocate!
Do you have a question for the Advocate for Business?
Check out past Q&As Ask a Question
Contact the Advocate for Business
You can contact the Advocate for Business for general information, assistance with a workers’ compensation, disability benefits or Paid Family Leave question or issue, or to schedule educational session.
- Phone: (518) 486-3331
- Email: advocatebusiness@wcb.ny.gov
Please be prepared with the following information:
- Complete corporate name
- Contact person name, phone number and email address
- Insurer and policy number
- Federal employer identification number or WCB employer number
- Brief description of request or the problem and any correspondence received.