Department of Labor & Industries v. Granger

**What This Case Was About** This case involved a dispute over how to calculate workers' compensation benefits for an injured employee of G.G. Richardson, Inc. The disagreement centered on whether the employer's health care contributions should count as part of the worker's wages when determining compensation payments. The employer was paying $2.15 per hour toward the worker's health benefits, but the worker wasn't eligible to use those benefits at the time of the injury. **What the Court Decided** The court ruled in favor of the Department of Labor & Industries, deciding that the $2.15 per hour health care contributions must be included when calculating the injured worker's monthly wages for workers' compensation purposes. This was true even though the worker couldn't access the health benefits when the injury occurred. **Why This Matters for Workers** This decision is important because it means workers' compensation benefits are calculated using a broader definition of wages that includes employer-paid benefits, not just take-home pay. When workers get injured on the job, their compensation will be based on the full value of what their employer was paying for their work, including health insurance contributions. This typically results in higher workers' compensation payments during recovery.