Restaurant Workers' Comp in Oregon
What Oregon requires of restaurants and bars for workers' compensation — when it kicks in, who's exempt, and what it costs.
Reviewed by J. Robert Smith, Licensed Insurance Agent (NPN 10378680). Last updated .
Yes. Oregon requires workers' compensation for virtually every employer with one or more subject workers, including part-time staff, so nearly all restaurants must carry coverage. Sole proprietors, partners, and qualifying corporate officers owning at least 10% may exempt themselves. Employers also pay the Workers' Benefit Fund cents-per-hour assessment, sharing it with employees.
- Required?
- Yes
- Kicks in at
- One or more subject workers (1+). Coverage is mandatory as soon as an employer employs any subject worker, full- or part-time; there is no minimum-employee or minimum-payroll floor.
- Restaurant rate
- NCCI class 9082 (full-service) and 9083 (fast food). Oregon is a comparatively low-cost state; restaurant rates run roughly $0.70–$1.20 per $100 of payroll — below national averages of about $1.00–$1.06 for 9082/9083. Approximate, industry tier.
- Market
- Oregon has a competitive (not monopolistic) market: SAIF Corporation is a state-chartered, not-for-profit competitive state fund that insures most Oregon employers alongside private carriers.
Is workers’ comp required for a restaurant in Oregon?
Oregon requires workers' compensation once you reach One or more subject workers (1+). Coverage is mandatory as soon as an employer employs any subject worker, full- or part-time; there is no minimum-employee or minimum-payroll floor.. Sole proprietors and partners are not required to cover themselves (may elect coverage). Corporate officers who are directors and own at least 10% of company stock may exempt themselves (construction corporations limited to two exempt officers). Certain domestic, casual, and agricultural workers are non-subject.
What restaurant workers’ comp costs in Oregon
The restaurant class-code rate in Oregon is NCCI class 9082 (full-service) and 9083 (fast food). Oregon is a comparatively low-cost state; restaurant rates run roughly $0.70–$1.20 per $100 of payroll — below national averages of about $1.00–$1.06 for 9082/9083. Approximate, industry tier.. Your premium is that rate applied per $100 of payroll and adjusted by your experience modifier, so it scales with how many people you employ and your claims history. Oregon has a competitive (not monopolistic) market: SAIF Corporation is a state-chartered, not-for-profit competitive state fund that insures most Oregon employers alongside private carriers.
What owners in Oregon miss
- SAIF Corporation is a competitive state fund, not a monopolistic one — Oregon restaurants may buy coverage from SAIF or any qualified private insurer, unlike true monopolistic-fund states.
- On top of premium, Oregon employers owe the Workers' Benefit Fund (WBF) assessment, a cents-per-hour-worked payroll tax that for 2026 is 1.8 cents per hour, paid to the state separately from the comp premium.
- The WBF assessment is split evenly: the employer pays half (0.9 cents/hour in 2026) and may deduct the other half from the worker's wages — a genuinely Oregon-specific mechanic most owners would not anticipate.
- The 2026 WBF rate of 1.8 cents per hour is the lowest since the cents-per-hour assessment began in 1996, down from 2.0 cents in prior years.
Sources
- Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services: Workers' Benefit Fund (2026 rate 1.8 cents per hour worked)primaryretrieved 2026-07-27
- Oregon Department of Revenue: Workers' Benefit Fund assessment (employer/state reporting)primaryretrieved 2026-07-27
- Oregon State Bar: Workers' Compensation from the Employer's Point of Viewindustryretrieved 2026-07-27
Cost examples are illustrative national figures gathered from public filings and industry surveys. They are not quotes. Your actual premium depends on your state, carrier, revenue, payroll, location, and coverage selections. Restaurant Insurance Authority is an insurance marketing and referral service, not an insurer or licensed agency. We connect business owners with licensed independent commercial-lines agents who specialize in food and beverage. Questions? Call (855) 480-1410.
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