The Advocate for Business

What is the Advocate for Business?

The Advocate for Business office is the primary interface between New York's business community and the Workers' Compensation Board. The office was created by legislation as a response to businesses' request to have one place they can call to get answers to their workers' compensation questions and help with understanding the workers' compensation system.

The major functions of the Advocate for Business office are:

• To assist individual businesses with problems they may have with their coverage, understanding their experience modification and classifications, and with complying with the workers' compensation law;
• To educate business owners, government personnel on the way the workers' compensation system works and the role that each participant in the system plays; and
• To meet with business associations and groups to listen to the concerns they have regarding workers' compensation and report to the Chair those concerns and offer possible solutions to address the issues.

The Business Advocate travels throughout the state meeting with businesses and business groups to inform them on changes within the Board and describing the role of the office. As the "business ambassador," the Advocate for Business is a member of the Interagency Task Force on Small Business, dealing with such issues as independent contractors and employee leasing.

Additionally, the Advocate works closely with the Governor's staff, the Legislature, the State Insurance Fund, the New York Compensation Insurance Rating Board and the Governor's Office of Regulatory Reform to assist their constituents with various workers' compensation related problems they may have.

The Advocate for Business handles approximately 200 inquiries and requests every month from business owners of all sizes and industry type and on a variety of issues. However, a large number of calls are from small business owners asking for assistance in handling issues they have been unable to resolve through their own means. There have been numerous calls regarding a clarification of the requirements of coverage for independent contractors, participation in the managed care pilot program, and problems with policies and service with insurance carriers. The Advocate's Office has had considerable success in helping individual business owners over the past year. The successes range from saving an employer thousands of dollars to saving a very small business owner a few hundred dollars, critical to the positive cash flow of that business.

When calling the Advocate for Business Office, please have the following information available:

• COMPLETE COMPANY NAME
• COMPANY CONTACT PERSON
• TELEPHONE NUMBER AND FAX NUMBER
• E-MAIL ADDRESS
• INSURANCE CARRIER AND POLICY NUMBER
• EMPLOYER UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (xx-xxxxx) OR FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
• BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM AND ANY CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED

For more information about your business and workers' compensation, please contact:

Advocate for Business
1-800-628-3331
20 Park Street, Albany, NY 12207