ROII Participant Portal

Kept on Salary, or KOS, is a term coined by L&I that describes when the employer pays their injured employees' full wages (including benefits) when they are injured on the job because a doctor has certified that they can't work. Full wages (KOS) are paid regardless of the method of payment (hourly, salary or piece work) to prevent L&I from paying time-loss.

As a program requirement, ROII participants pay up to a maximum of 30 working days of KOS—30 days may happen consecutively or over the course of the claim. In addition to being a participation requirement, KOS is a cost control strategy that can also help you avoid an increase in your workers' comp premiums, maintain a claim-free discount and earn maximum Retro refunds.

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Medical restrictions may prevent your employee from returning to their regular job after a workplace injury. Light duty (or Modified Duty) is work you offer within your employee's medical restrictions, which they perform until they have a full release back to their pre-injury job.

As a program requirement, ROII participants provide modified or light duty work to their own injured employee and continue to pay them at their regular pre-injury wage. This requirement is separate from the KOS requirement, and the 30-day limit does not apply to light duty.

You may be eligible for reimbursements through the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries' (L&I) Stay at Work program for some of your base wages and expenses, such as training and tools related to the doctor-approved light-duty work.

NOTE: KOS wages paid to your injured worker is not eligible for reimbursements by L&I's 'Stay a Work program.'

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The ROII plan year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30 of the following year and the three subsequent annual adjustments, the first of which occurs roughly ten months after the plan year has ended. In total, a plan year lasts 46 months from start to finish. Member participants are required to continue paying their regular quarterly premiums directly to the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) during the plan year.

After the plan year ends, the following April, L&I will calculate the first of three Retrospective premium adjustments. The ROII plan year refunds are based on what the group participants (your company and others) pay in Standard Premiums to L&I and Developed Losses that L&I charges the group for claims.

If the ROII group's Standard Premiums paid exceed its Developed Losses, L&I returns the excess money to the group sponsor. If Developed Losses exceed Standard Premiums paid, member participants may be assessed additional premiums.

Refund Timeline