L&I Workers' Compensation Adjudicator 2-Apprentice

State of Washington • Thurston County – Tumwater, WA

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) is hiring apprentices for its 22-month Workers’ Compensation Adjudicator 2 apprenticeship program. The program begins with an intensive classroom training period, with required in-office training in Tumwater, Washington, for the first 11 months. Apprentices receive a personal coach or mentor, work with an experienced Claim Manager team, and have access to medical, legal, and vocational professionals. Their work is checked for quality and accuracy. Successful completion leads to journey-level certification.

Claim Managers adjudicate and manage workers’ compensation claims by authorizing or denying medical, vocational, and monetary benefits and ensuring statutory time limits are met. The role involves working with people who need help in a challenging, changing environment. After classroom training, hybrid telework or other schedules may be considered based on business needs and supervisor approval. Overtime may also be available after training. Spanish-bilingual positions receive an additional 5% salary and require a fluency assessment.

The listed monthly salary begins at $4,677, progresses to $4,838 after six months and $5,000 after ten months, and reaches $5,376 after the 22-month apprenticeship. After completing the program, a 5% annual periodic increase may apply up to $6,229. Different salary placement rules apply to permanent state employees entering the program. The agency may use the announcement to fill multiple permanent and/or non-permanent positions.

Requirements

• One year of experience working with insurance claims within Labor and Industries, or in claims/insurance adjusting, claims investigations, paramedical occupations, disability management, claims risk management/loss control, medical billing, paralegal services involving personal injury or medical insurance, or related fields; OR a bachelor's degree; OR equivalent education/experience.
• Ability to keyboard at a minimum of 40 words per minute, accounting for errors, demonstrated with a five-minute typing assessment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to learn quickly, stay organized, and work well under pressure.
• Ability to calmly handle adversarial situations, exercise sound judgment, and make sound decisions.
• Comfort answering a high volume of phone calls in a customer-focused environment.
• Ability to move among multiple computer programs easily.
• Motivation to research and interpret facts and apply rules, policies, and laws fairly and objectively.
• Experience responding to difficult and sensitive situations with empathy and compassion.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks under tight deadlines without sacrificing quality or accuracy.
• Commitment to punctuality and working 40 hours per week.
• Ability to take action to learn and grow and to take action to meet the needs of others.
• For applicants hired into a Spanish-bilingual position, fluency in written and spoken Spanish and successful completion of a language assessment.

Responsibilities

• Adjudicate and manage workers’ compensation claims.
• Authorize or deny medical, vocational, and monetary benefits.
• Ensure statutory time limits are met.
• Complete claim work subject to quality and accuracy review during the apprenticeship.
• Research and interpret facts and apply rules, policies, and laws fairly and objectively.
• Respond to a high volume of phone calls in a customer-focused environment.
• Handle difficult and sensitive situations with empathy and sound judgment.

Benefits

• Medical, legal, and vocational professionals available to support the work.
• Personal coach or mentor during the apprenticeship.
• Potential eligibility for an apprenticeship stipend through the GI Bill.
• Generous retirement package for eligible state employees at the end of their careers.
• Competitive benefits package.
• Flexible schedules may be available, subject to business needs and approval.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level