Workers' compensation codes are assigned on the job title, not on the individual employee.
Every employee currently holding a job title inherits that job title's assigned code automatically — you don't need to update employees one at a time.
Assign a code to a job title
Open the job title record and go to the Pay and compliance section of the Job Information tab. Select a code from the Worker comp code field. For full steps on editing a job title, see Job Records.
How to navigate to Assign a code to a job title
Select the Workforce application.
Open the Employees dropdown.
Select Jobs.
Click into an existing Job.
Click Edit
Scroll to the Pay and Compliance section to see Workers' Compensation code.
The list includes every workers' compensation code created for the job's legal entity — it isn't filtered by state.
If a code is already assigned, you'll see a note that changing it will automatically update every employee on that job.
For jobs located in Washington or Wyoming, a workers' comp code is required — you can't save the job title without one.
On the Job Information tab, the Worker comp code field is disabled with a tooltip reading "Workers' compensation codes can only be set for jobs at a payroll location when the job's location isn't a payroll location for the legal entity.
This field only appears when your account has Workforce and job-title-level workers' compensation assignment turned on.
How this affects employee records
The workers' comp code field on an employee's job record reflects the code inherited from the job title and can't be edited there directly. For steps on managing an employee's job assignments, see Add Or Edit Jobs On Employee Records.
Assign codes in bulk
To assign codes to many job titles at once instead of one at a time, use the WC Code column in a job import file. Rows for jobs in Washington or Wyoming must include a code, and an unrecognized code causes the row to fail import. Re-importing a job whose code hasn't changed doesn't create a duplicate assignment. See Import Page for the import wizard steps.
To create the codes and rates available for assignment, see Add a Workers' Compensation Rate.
FAQ
What should I do if the Worker comp code field is disabled or missing on a job title?
The field is disabled when the job's location isn't set up as a payroll location for the job's legal entity, and it doesn't appear at all unless your account has Workforce and job-title-level workers' compensation assignment turned on. Add the location on the Payroll Locations page, then return to the job title to assign the code.
What happens if a job import file has an unrecognized workers' compensation code?
The row with the unrecognized code fails to import. Rows for jobs in Washington or Wyoming must include a valid code, so double-check the WC Code column against the codes already configured. See Import Page for the import wizard steps.
If I change the workers' comp code on a job title, does it affect employees already assigned to that job?
Yes. Every employee currently holding that job title inherits the updated code immediately — you don't need to update employees individually. For steps on editing a job title, see Job Records.
Is a workers' compensation code required for job titles outside Washington and Wyoming?
No. A code is only required to save a job title for jobs located in Washington or Wyoming. Elsewhere, assigning a code is optional but recommended for accurate reporting. See Add a Workers' Compensation Rate for how to create codes and rates.