Which employees count toward Georgia’s workers compensation requirement threshold?

In Georgia, a business is generally required to carry workers compensation insurance once it regularly has three or more employees. Both full-time and part-time workers count toward this three-employee threshold, which surprises many small business owners who assume only full-timers matter.

Workers compensation pays for medical care and lost wages when an employee is hurt on the job. Georgia law sets the trigger at three employees, but counting them correctly is where owners often go wrong.

Georgia counts more workers than owners expect:

• Full-time employees count.
• Part-time employees count too, even if they only work a few hours a week.
• Corporate officers generally count as employees, though they may be able to exempt themselves in limited situations.
• True independent contractors usually do not count, but misclassifying a worker as a contractor when they function as an employee is a common and costly mistake.

For example, a Georgia coffee shop has one owner who works in the business, one full-time barista, and two part-time baristas. That is at least three employees once part-timers are included, so coverage is required. An owner who only counted the full-time barista would wrongly assume they were exempt.

Operating without required coverage in Georgia can lead to serious penalties, so getting the count right matters. We will help you determine whether you have hit the threshold and arrange compliant coverage. Request a free coverage review and we will confirm your workers compensation insurance obligations.