Our state run program is among the best in the country, and far cheaper and better than private workman's comp. They watchdog the industry pretty well, question dubious claims, even give refunds if there is a surplus in the general fund at year's end. All this adds up to a base rate of about 1.85 per manhour for tree work, and .88 per hr for landscaping, i.e. pruning under 12 feet. Based on claims history, experience factor can range from .7 to 1.3 x the base rate. About 25% of this can be taken out of the employee's wages. This works out to about 7-12% of what I pay my help, which is about $14 per hr for unskilled occasional labor, 20-25 per hr for a good gman/occasional pruner-climber and 25-34 for my climber. I typically pay based on percentages of the job, so there are incentives to do fast and good work, as any damage costs are shared by the responsible person. Incomplete work would need to be done for no extra pay. Both are extremely rare occurrences as I am on most jobs, and we are rather skilled and careful.
Roger
