Gallo v. Department of Labor & Industries

**Gallo v. Department of Labor & Industries: What It Means for Workers** This case involved a dispute over how workers' compensation benefits should be calculated in Washington state. The employee, Gallo, argued that certain employer contributions - including payments to retirement funds, training programs, and insurance trusts - should count as "wages" when determining time-loss compensation payments. The Washington Supreme Court ruled against Gallo, deciding that these employer contributions do not qualify as wages under state law. The court affirmed that when calculating workers' compensation benefits, only direct wages should be included - not the additional money employers contribute to retirement plans, apprenticeship training funds, or various insurance trusts on behalf of workers. **What this means for workers:** If you're injured on the job in Washington state, your workers' compensation payments will be based only on your actual wages, not on the total value of your compensation package. Employer contributions to your retirement, training funds, or insurance benefits won't boost your time-loss payments. This could mean lower compensation than you might expect if you assumed these employer contributions would be included in the calculation of your benefits.