Workers' Compensation Enforcement Collaborative (WCEC)

Worksafe is a member of the Workers’ Compensation Enforcement Collaborative (WCEC), which is convened by the Watsonville Law Center. This statewide collaborative is made up of employers, non-profits, and government agencies committed to eliminating barriers faced by agricultural and other low-wage immigrant workers in the workers’ compensation system.

The overall goal of the collaborative is to improve workers' access to workers’ compensation benefits through reporting, enforcement, and the development of statewide policies.

Successful Pilot Project Launched

One of the most difficult challenges in the workers' compensation system is getting treatment and benefits for workers whose employers illegally fail to secure workers' compensation insurance.

The WCEC is tackling this issue head on through a "customer service initiative” pilot project launched in June 2009 to help injured workers get benefits while shining a spotlight on their illegally uninsured employers. The focus of the initiative, for now limited to the Salinas office of the Department of Workers’ Compensation (DWC), is to assist unrepresented injured workers who need help identifying their employer, and in securing benefits from the Uninsured Employers Benefits Trust Fund (UEBTF) if the employer fails to provide necessary coverage.