Sonoma Tangled in the WC Vine
By Robert Warne - May 20, 2003
Supervisors for the 6,000 employees, self-insured Sonoma County, realize that there’s more to the region’s future prosperity than the price of grapes. And in the process of balancing the county’s budget, officials want to make sure workers’ compensation doesn’t continue to shrivel up its funds.
A recent study of Sonoma’s workers’ compensation system revealed that the county is above average when it comes to claims frequency and cost-per-claim.
An area of concern that officials want to address is why claims frequency jumped 51 percent over the past decade while the county’s employee base only grew 2.5 percent.
They also want to figure out why the county’s average $9,500 cost-per-claim is $2,280 more than the state’s average.
The report points out that the Sheriff’s Department is the county’s greatest work comp burden, which accounts for 42 percent of the county’s claims. The closest department to the Sheriff’s is the Human Services Department with 12 percent of the claims.
The Correctional Officer job classification is the top dog within the Sheriff’s Department when it comes to claims. In 2001 it out claimed other law enforcement personnel by 2-1.
Twenty-Five percent of the county’s high work comp tab is also blamed on Labor Code section 4850. Because of this section certain public safety personnel are guaranteed 100 percent of their salary tax-free for one year.
Officials will pop the cork on the issues generated by the report May 19. It is likely though that devising a plan of action will take some time as they realize the task at hand is more complex and sophisticated than an oaky chardonnay. | 
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