Workers' Comp Insurance for Restaurants Employers
Workers' comp for restaurants, bars, and food-service operators — with tipped-payroll clarity, owner exclusions, and claims management for cut/burn/slip risks.
Top Restaurants Workers' Comp Exposures
We write coverage built around the injuries and claims that actually happen in restaurants & food service — not generic small-business policies.
- cuts from knives and slicers
- burns from fryers and grills
- slips on wet floors
- back injuries from lifting
- repetitive wrist strain
Audit Traps We Watch For
Most restaurants & food service premium surprises come from the same handful of audit findings. Here's what we help employers catch and dispute:
- tips miscounted in payroll
- owner payroll in waitstaff class
- overtime not capped properly
- delivery drivers in the restaurant class instead of trucking
- cash-paid staff undeclared at audit
Class codes most common for restaurants & food service: NCCI codes 9082 (restaurants), 9083 (fast food), 9084 (bars)
Restaurants Workers' Comp by State
State-specific restaurants & food service guides with local rules and class codes:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I report tips as payroll for workers' comp?
Yes, typically. Tips reported to you by staff (whether on a W-2 or declared cash tips) generally count as reportable payroll for workers' comp purposes. Unreported cash tips don't count — but that's a separate legal and tax issue. Your bookkeeper should be matching what you tell the auditor to what's on your 941s.
Can I exclude myself as the owner from my restaurant's WC policy?
Most states allow it for sole proprietors and LLC members. It can save meaningful premium since owner payroll is often counted at the waitstaff or cook class rate. Before excluding, check that your landlord, franchisor, or commercial lender doesn't require you to be covered.
What about delivery drivers — are they in the restaurant code?
If they're using their own vehicles to deliver, many states require them to be classified under a delivery/trucking code, not the restaurant code. This usually RAISES your premium for those hours, but misclassifying can trigger big audit findings — and in some states, uninsured-driver claims.
Get a restaurants-focused policy review
We'll pull your current policy, audit exposure, and class codes apart and tell you exactly what we'd change and why. No pressure, no pitch.
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