Retrospective Rating (Retro) is a safety incentive program offered by L&I, through a sponsoring association. In Retro, you have the potential to earn a partial refund on your workers’ compensation premiums.

Essentially, retrospective rating is another way of calculating premium, after the fact or “retroactively.” The Retro coverage period lasts 12 months, beginning January each year. About 9 months after the coverage period ends, L&I looks back on the Retro group’s actual experience and calculates the retro premium for the coverage period. If the retro premium is below what is expected, then the group can earn a partial refund on the difference.

To be eligible for Retro, L&I has three requirements:

1. Be a member of the sponsoring association
2. Have an L&I account in good standing at the time of enrollment and maintain that good standing at each re-enrollment period
3. Enroll all qualifying related sub-accounts

There are additional underwriting steps involved to qualify for the association’s Retro program. To determine your eligibility, complete and return a WorkSafe Release form to our team for review.

The Retro coverage period – or program year – lasts 12 months, beginning January each year. Ten months after the program year ends, L&I looks back on the actual experience and calculates the retro premium – this is called an adjustment. 

Three adjustments are completed for each program year. WorkSafe returns refunds the qualified participants at the first and third adjustments.

WA Hospitality introduced the Retrospective Rating program (Retro) to the Washington restaurant industry in 1986. Since then, WA Hospitality’s Retro has grown to be one of the largest Retro programs in the state, helping numerous member participants to realize savings on their workers’ compensation premiums.