Why do clients and GCs ask for proof of workers comp?
Because a workplace injury has to be paid for by someone. If your employee gets hurt on a client's site and you have no coverage, the injured worker's claim can turn into a dispute that pulls in everyone on the job: the client, the GC, the property owner.
General contractors collect workers comp certificates from subcontractors with crews for the same reason they collect liability certificates: an uninsured sub's injury claim can end up on the GC's own policy and raise their costs on every future job.
Clients and staffing platforms ask so they can show their own insurers and auditors that every business they engage carries coverage for its people. For them, your certificate is a filing-cabinet answer to the question "what happens if someone gets hurt?"
What does the workers comp section of a COI show?
Workers' comp appears as its own row in the certificate's coverage table, alongside any other lines you carry. The row shows:
- The coverage line: workers' compensation and employer's liability, listed together as one entry.
- Policy number and dates tying the certificate to a real policy and showing the window it's active.
- Statutory benefits. The workers' comp benefits themselves (medical care, wage replacement) are set by state law, so this part is marked as statutory rather than a dollar amount.
- Employer's liability limits, the dollar limits for the portion that defends your business in certain injury-related lawsuits. Olli's program includes employer's liability coverage of up to $1,000,000.
Requesters read the row the same way they read a liability line: active dates, a real insurer, and the coverage they asked for. Our sample certificate walkthrough shows where each of these fields sits on the page.
What if I'm a sole proprietor?
Owners without employees are often exempt from carrying workers' comp. The rules vary, though, so check your state's requirements before assuming anything. Exemption rules differ in who they cover, how they're claimed, and how they treat subcontracted help.
The practical catch is that even where an exemption applies, some clients and GCs still require proof of workers' comp from everyone they hire, because their own contracts demand it. That leaves you two options. Provide whatever exemption paperwork your state offers, where the requester accepts it. Or carry a policy so you can hand over a certificate like any other business. A policy also protects you the moment you bring on help, even temporarily.
How do I get one?
The certificate comes from the insurer behind your workers' comp policy, or an agent acting on its behalf. Tell them who needs to be listed as the certificate holder and pass along any wording the contract requires, and they'll prepare it. Certificates are free. The policy behind one is the only cost in the picture.
No coverage yet? Start there. Olli's workers' compensation program is available in 46 states, with pay-as-you-go premium options that base what you pay on actual payroll. North Dakota, Ohio, Washington and Wyoming require coverage through their state funds. Once a policy is active, proof of coverage follows from it.