(a) If
the board finds an employer to have failed to provide security as required by
AS
23.30.075, the employer is subject to a civil
penalty under
AS
23.30.080(f), determined as
follows:
(1) if an employer has an inadvertent
lapse in coverage, the civil penalty assessed under
AS
23.30.080(f) for the
employer's violation of
AS
23.30.075 may be no more than the prorated
premium the employer would have paid had the employer been in compliance with
AS
23.30.075; the division shall consider a
lapse in coverage of not more than 30 days to be inadvertent if the employer
has changed carriers, ownership of the employer has changed, the form of
business entity of the employer has change, the individual responsible for
obtaining workers' compensation coverage for the employer has changed, or the
board determines an unusual extenuating circumstance to qualify as an
inadvertent lapse;
(2) if an
employer has not previously violated
AS
23.30.075, and is found not to have
aggravating factors, and agrees to a stipulation of facts and executes a
confession of judgment without action, without a board hearing, the employer
will be assessed a civil penalty of two times the premium the employer would
have paid had the employer complied with
AS
23.30.075;
(3) if an employer has not previously
violated AS 23.30.075, and is found to have
no more than three aggravating factors, the employer will be assessed a civil
penalty of no less than $10 and no more than $50 per uninsured employee
workday; however, the civil penalty may not be less than two times the premium
the employer would have paid had the employer complied with
AS
23.30.075; without a board hearing, if an
employer agrees to a stipulation of facts and executes a confession of judgment
without action, the employer will be given a 25 percent discount of the
assessed civil penalty; however, the discounted amount may not be less than any
civil penalty that would be assessed under (2) of this subsection;
(4) if an employer is found to have no more
than six aggravating factors, the employer will be assessed a civil penalty of
no less than $51 and no more than $499 per uninsured employee workday; however,
the civil penalty may not be less than two times the premium the employer would
have paid had the employer complied with
AS
23.30.075; without a board hearing, if an
employer agrees to a stipulation of facts and executes a confession of judgment
without action, the employer will be given a 25 percent discount of the
assessed civil penalty; however, the discounted amount may not be less than any
civil penalty that would be assessed under (3) of this subsection;
(5) if an employer is found to have no fewer
than seven and no more than 10 aggravating factors, the employer will be
assessed a civil penalty of no less than $500 and no more than $999 per
uninsured employee workday; however, the civil penalty may not be less than
four times the premium the employer would have paid had the employer complied
with AS
23.30.075; without a board hearing, if an
employer agrees to a stipulation of facts and executes a confession of judgment
without action, the employer will be given a 25 percent discount of the
assessed civil penalty; however, the discounted amount may not be less than any
civil penalty that would be assessed under (4) of this subsection;
(6) if an employer is found to have more than
10 aggravating factors, the employer will be assessed a civil penalty of $1,000
per uninsured employee workday.
(b) A civil penalty assessed under (a) of
this section may not exceed the maximum civil penalty allowed under
AS
23.30.080(f).
(c) An employer receiving government funding
of any form to obtain workers' compensation coverage under
AS
23.30.075 that fails to provide that coverage
may be assessed the maximum civil penalty under
AS
23.30.080(f).
(d) For the purposes of this section,
"aggravating factors" include
(1) failure to
obtain workers' compensation insurance within 10 days after the division's
notification of a lack of workers' compensation insurance;
(2) failure to maintain workers' compensation
insurance after previous notification by the division of a lack of
coverage;
(3) a violation of
AS
23.30.075 that exceeds 180 calendar
days;
(4) previous violations of
AS
23.30.075;
(5) issuance of a stop order by the board
under AS
23.30.080(d), or the
director under
AS
23.30.080(e);
(6) violation of a stop order issued by the
board under
AS
23.30.080(d), or the
director under
AS
23.30.080(e);
(7) failure to comply with the division's
initial discovery demand within 30 days after the demand;
(8) failure to pay a penalty previously
assessed by the board for violations of
AS
23.30.075;
(9) failure to provide compensation or
benefits payable under the Act to an uninsured injured employee;
(10) a history of injuries or deaths
sustained by one or more employees while employer was in violation of
AS
23.30.075;
(11) a history of injuries or deaths while
the employer was insured under
AS
23.30.075;
(12) failure to appear at a hearing before
the board after receiving proper notice under
AS
23.30.110;
(13) cancellation of a workers' compensation
insurance policy due to the employer's failure to comply with the carrier's
requests or procedures;
(14) lapses
in business practice that would be used by a reasonably diligent business
person, including
(A) ignoring certified
mail;
(B) failure to properly
supervise employees; and
(C)
failure to gain a familiarity with laws affecting the use of employee
labor;
(15) receipt of
government funding of any form to obtain workers' compensation coverage under
AS
23.30.075, and failure to provide that
coverage.
(e) In this
section,
(1) "premium" means the current
amount charged to the employer by a carrier for coverage under
AS
23.30.075;
(2) "uninsured employee workday" means the
total hours of employee labor utilized by the employer while in violation of
AS
23.30.075 divided by eight.