May 27, 2016

Tallahassee, Fla. – The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) today requested the state to approve a 17.1 percent hike in Florida’s workers’ compensation rates largely in response to a recent judicial ruling that invalidates cost-saving attorney fee caps in the workers’ compensation law.  Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) views this increase as a threat to Florida’s continued economic growth and warns that the financial impact of increased litigation and attorney fees will quickly tarnish the state’s successful business climate. In an effort to ensure the Florida Legislature has the resources it needs to maintain a successful workers’ compensation system, AIF announces its 2016 Helping Florida Work Town Hall Tour.

“Today’s workers’ compensation rate increase filing by NCCI comes as no surprise,” said AIF President & CEO Tom Feeney.  “Upon reading the Florida Supreme Court’s far reaching opinion in the Castellanos case, we warned that the unbridled hourly rate attorney fees the decision permitted would trigger a significant increase that directly hurts all Florida employers and will hamper continued job creation.”

Since 2002, AIF has lead the Florida business community through its Workers’ Compensation Coalition and remains committed to providing the Florida Legislature and Cabinet with the resources needed to stabilize the successful workers’ compensation system the 2003 reforms created.  

Today, AIF and its partners in the Florida business community announce the 2016 Helping Florida Work Town Hall Tour.  This tour will provide communities across Florida the opportunity to share the challenges and threats facing employers and employees in the workers’ compensation system and discuss solutions to preserve the guaranty of medical and wage benefits to injured workers at an affordable price to their employers.

“As the voice of Florida’s business community on workers’ compensation, it is our mission to foster ideas and initiatives that tackle the threats now facing Florida’s workers’ compensation system,” said Feeney.  “With the Helping Florida Work Town Hall Tour, we hope legislators and employers and our workforce will all understand the importance of this issue to our communities and embrace the challenge of balancing the needs of injured workers and businesses in a manner that ensures our economic success will continue and more jobs will grow in our communities.” 

2016 Helping Florida Work Town Hall Tour:

	Tampa		REGISTER FOR TAMPA
		Date:	Thursday, June 9
		Time:	9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
		Location:	Hillsborough Community College Dale Mabry Campus 4001 West Tampa Bay Boulevard Student Services Building – DSTU Auditorium #111 Tampa, FL 33614 View Map
	Miami		REGISTER FOR MIAMI
		Date:	Wednesday, June 29
		Time:	9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
		Location:	Turnberry Isle Resort 19999 West Country Club Drive Aventura, FL  33180
	Jacksonville		REGISTER FOR JACKSONVILLE
		Date:	Wednesday, July 13
		Time:	9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
		Location:	TBA

 

Please note that all events are free, but registration is required because space is limited.

View the entire NCCI release regarding the filing.

Known as “The Voice of Florida Business” in the Sunshine State, AIF has represented the principles of prosperity and free enterprise before the three branches of state government since 1920. A voluntary association of diversified businesses, AIF was created to foster an economic climate in Florida conducive to the growth, development, and welfare of industry and business and the people of the state.

For more information on AIF, please visit AIF.com and follow @VoiceofFLBiz.

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