Mega Refunds

Checks are in the mail for employers who helped to improve workplace safety last year. The State Compensation Insurance Fund, California’s largest workers’ compensation insurer, said it expects to pay $115 million to employers with good safety records. The payments will range from $40 to a few hundred thousand dollars.

Jim Zelinski, a spokesman for the fund, said the payout represents approximately 10% of the premiums paid by 230,000 policyholders last year. The fund returned $99 million in dividends for 1996.

This year’s payout “again validates that employers who are committed to fostering a safe workplace benefit from their efforts,” said K.C. Bollier, president of the insurance fund. Some employers could receive their refunds as early as next week.