Preparing for a workers' compensation premium audit is easier when every requested document has an owner, source, and review status. This checklist is designed for administrative preparation—not for calculating premiums or deciding insurance classifications.
Records to locate
- Audit notice, instructions, deadline, and period under review
- Payroll summaries and supporting payroll reports for the period
- Records explaining adjustments or differences between reports
- Subcontractor agreements, payment reports, and relevant certificates of insurance
- Correspondence with the auditor, insurer, broker, or adviser
- Prior requests, outstanding questions, and an index of files prepared for handoff
Columns for a useful audit document tracker
Track the document name, period covered, source system, assigned owner, requested date, received date, review status, and outstanding question. Mark an item complete only after the actual record has been located and checked.
What to do with missing records
Log the gap, assign a follow-up owner, and document what alternative source is available. Avoid filling missing fields with guesses. Ask the appropriate professional whether an alternative record is acceptable.
Keep records secure
Store employee and business records in approved secure systems. Avoid putting personal identifiers, medical details, banking information, or sensitive payroll data into unsecured tools or shared sample files.
Related preparation guides
For a broader workflow, read the premium audit preparation checklist. For subcontractor records, use the subcontractor document checklist.
Organize the workflow in one toolkit
The CaseWorks Audit Preparation System offers a downloadable document-tracking desk, Excel workbook, and PDF/CSV templates. It is a preparation aid, not insurance, legal, or accounting advice, and does not verify coverage, premiums, classifications, or compliance.
See more downloadable tools in the workers' compensation audit preparation collection.