If you are hurt at work, you may need to know which insurance company — or which third-party administrator (TPA) — handles your employer’s workers’ compensation claims. That information is not a secret: Illinois law requires it to be posted at work, and the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission (IWCC) can help you find it if your employer will not tell you. Work through the steps below in order, and keep a written record of each step you try.
En español: Como empleado, ¿cómo sé qué seguro usa mi empleador para la compensación laboral?
Also asked as: How do I find out who my employer’s workers’ compensation insurance company is? What if my employer won’t tell me who their workers’ comp carrier is?
The short answer
Start with the posted notice at your workplace, then ask your employer, HR department or risk manager in writing, then use the IWCC Employer Insurance Coverage Search. If the notice is missing or your employer will not tell you, contact the IWCC Insurance Compliance Division, which will try to identify the carrier for you. Do not assume your employer is uninsured just because one search came up empty — company name variations can make a search tricky.
1. Check the workplace posted notice
Illinois law requires the employer to post a notice in a conspicuous place at every work site. That notice must state whether the employer is insured or self-insured. If the employer is insured, the notice must give the carrier name and address, the policy number, and the effective and termination dates of the policy. If the employer is self-insured, the notice must give the servicing company and the person in charge of payments.
Look for the notice near entrances, break rooms, time clocks, bulletin boards and other places where workplace notices are usually posted. Take a photo or write down exactly what it says, including the carrier name, policy number and dates, and note the date and place where you saw it. If the notice is not where you expect it, check other work sites and ask coworkers where the notice is posted — but do not rely on a coworker’s memory alone.
2. Ask the employer, HR or risk manager in writing
If you cannot find the posted notice, or if the information on it is unclear or out of date, ask your employer, HR department or risk manager in writing for the carrier or TPA name and the claim contact. Put the request in an email or a letter, keep a copy, and note the date you sent it and who you sent it to.
Ask specifically for: the name of the workers’ compensation insurance carrier or, if self-insured, the servicing company; the claim contact or TPA; and the policy number and effective dates, if available. A written request creates a record, and it is much easier to follow up on than a verbal conversation that no one remembers the same way.
3. Use the IWCC Employer Insurance Coverage Search
You can also search for coverage through the IWCC. Use the IWCC Employer Insurance Coverage Search on the IWCC website at iwcc.illinois.gov. Search using the legal name of your employer, not just a trade name, nickname or site name.
Company name variations can make a search tricky. Check the legal employer name on a pay stub, a W-2, an offer letter or another official document, and try variations of that name if your first search comes up empty. A single empty search does not prove that the employer is uninsured — it may mean the name was entered differently, the policy is listed under a parent company, or the search needs to be tried another way.
4. If the notice is missing or the employer won’t tell you
If the posted notice is missing, out of date or incomplete, or if your employer will not tell you who the carrier is, contact the IWCC Insurance Compliance Division. That division will try to identify the carrier for you. The contact details given for the division are: email [email protected], telephone 312-814-6611, and toll-free 866-352-3033.
When you contact the division, have ready: your employer’s legal name and address, the work site address, the date of your injury, and any information you already found from the posted notice or from your own search, including the pay stub name you used. Keep copies of everything you send and receive.
What not to assume
Do not claim the employer is uninsured just because one search came up empty. Do not stop reporting your injury or seeking care while you are looking for the carrier — report the injury to your employer in writing, get medical care, and keep records, as explained on How many days to report a work injury in Illinois? and What if my claim is denied?.
What to do next
- Check the posted notice at every work site, and write down the carrier name, policy number and dates.
- Ask your employer, HR or risk manager in writing for the carrier or TPA name and claim contact, and keep a copy.
- Search the IWCC Employer Insurance Coverage Search using the legal employer name from a pay stub.
- If the notice is missing or your employer will not tell you, contact the IWCC Insurance Compliance Division, as described above.
- Keep all notices, emails, search results and claim letters together in your claim file.
Verify against the IWCC: Coverage information and contact details can change. Check the current information with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission before relying on any contact detail on this page. If you are seriously hurt, get emergency care first.
This page is general information only. It is not medical advice, not legal advice, and this site is not a law firm. See the Disclaimer.