Department of Labor & Industries v. Granger

**What This Case Was About:** A worker named Granger was injured on the job while employed by G.G. Richardson, Inc. When he applied for workers' compensation disability benefits, a dispute arose over how much his monthly wages should be calculated at. The key issue was whether to include the $2.15 per hour that his employer paid into a health care trust fund on his behalf. Even though Granger couldn't access these trust benefits at the time of his injury, the Department of Labor & Industries wanted to count these payments as part of his wages for calculating his disability benefits. **What the Court Decided:** The Washington Supreme Court ruled in favor of including the health care trust fund payments in Granger's wage calculation. The court said that even though he wasn't currently eligible to receive the trust benefits, the $2.15 per hour his employer contributed should still count toward his total compensation. **Why This Matters for Workers:** This decision helps injured workers receive higher workers' compensation benefits. When employers make contributions to health funds or similar benefits on workers' behalf, those payments can now be included when calculating disability benefits, potentially resulting in larger monthly payments during recovery.