This article covers how to add workers' compensation codes at the company level during Patriot's payroll setup wizard. Workers' compensation codes (also called classification codes) categorize employees by job type so Patriot can track payroll by code and generate reports for your insurance audit. You'll assign these codes to individual employees in a later wizard step.
Setting up workers' comp codes is optional during the wizard. If you want to skip this step, go to Step 7, Direct Deposit and Paper Check Setup.
Why Set Up Workers' Compensation Codes
Once workers' comp codes are set up and assigned to employees, Patriot tracks payroll amounts by code across every pay run. This gives you ready-made reports when your insurance company conducts a workers' compensation audit. Without codes set up, Patriot cannot generate these reports.
Video Walkthrough
The video walks through adding workers compensation codes at the company level and how to sign up for Ergo | Next for pay-as-you-go workers' compensation.
How to Add Workers' Compensation Codes
To add workers' comp codes at the company level in the wizard:
On the Workers' Compensation step of the wizard, click Add a Workers' Comp Code.
Select the state the code applies to from the dropdown.
Enter or select the workers' comp classification code for that job type. Classification codes are assigned by your insurance carrier and vary by state and job type.
Enter a description for the code (for example, "Office Staff" or "Delivery Drivers").
Click Save.
Repeat for each additional code your company uses.
After completing the wizard, you can manage your company-level workers' comp codes at any time under Settings > Payroll > Workers' Comp Settings.
Assign Codes to Employees
Company-level codes are templates — you still need to assign the appropriate code to each employee. You'll do this in the employee setup step of the wizard, or later through each employee's profile. For details, see Managing Employee-Level Workers' Compensation Codes.
Optional: Get Pay-As-You-Go Workers' Compensation Insurance Through ERGO NEXT
Patriot has partnered with ERGO NEXT Insurance (formerly AP Intego Insurance Group), a nationally licensed insurance broker, to offer workers' compensation insurance directly through your Patriot account. Their Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) program lets you pay workers' comp premiums each time you run payroll, based on your actual payroll dollars, instead of making a large upfront annual payment.
PAYG workers' comp insurance is not available in all states. If your business is located in North Dakota, Ohio, Washington, or Wyoming, you are required to purchase workers' comp insurance directly from your state and are not eligible for the PAYG program.
To get a quote from ERGO NEXT Insurance:
Log in to Patriot and go to Marketplace, the Payroll Overview page, or Settings > Payroll > Workers' Comp Settings.
Click Get a Quote.
An online quote request form will open in a new browser tab. Complete all fields and click Submit. Your information goes directly to ERGO NEXT Insurance, not Patriot Software.
Alternatively, you can submit a contact form and an ERGO NEXT agent will reach out to you. After ERGO NEXT Insurance receives your request, they will contact you within 4 business hours and typically issue a quote the same day. If you accept a policy,
ERGO NEXT Insurance will collect your bank account information and debit your workers' comp premiums the week following each payroll run.
For full details on how PAYG workers' comp works with Patriot, see Pay-As-You-Go Workers' Compensation Insurance.