The Washington Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court's decision, holding that employer contributions for pension and apprenticeship training benefits do not constitute 'wages' under RCW 51.08.178 for worker's compensation purposes, though health insurance benefits were included.
What This Ruling Means
## Gallo v. Department of Labor & Industries: Court Rules on What Counts as "Wages"
**What Happened**
This case involved a dispute over how to calculate workers' compensation benefits. The issue was whether certain employer contributions - specifically pension benefits and apprenticeship training payments made by Murphy Brothers, Inc. - should count as "wages" when determining workers' compensation coverage and benefits.
**What the Court Decided**
The Washington Court of Appeals ruled against the worker and sided with the Department of Labor & Industries. The court decided that employer contributions to pension plans and apprenticeship training programs do not count as "wages" under Washington state workers' compensation law. However, the court did confirm that health insurance benefits provided by employers do count as wages for these purposes.
**Why This Matters for Workers**
This ruling affects how workers' compensation benefits are calculated in Washington state. Since pension and training contributions don't count as wages, they won't increase the amount of workers' compensation benefits an injured worker receives. However, health insurance benefits will still boost those calculations. Workers should understand that not all employer-provided benefits are treated equally when it comes to workers' compensation coverage.
This summary was generated to explain the ruling in plain English and is not legal advice.
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This ruling information is sourced from public court records via CourtListener.com. It is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.