Workers’ compensation insurance safety groups are essentially pools of safety conscientious employers who band together for the purposes of obtaining more favorable premiums. It is important to note that this is not self-insurance and therefore earned premiums are guaranteed with no possibility of further assessment. Nearly 100 safety groups are underwritten by NYSIF, one of New York State’s largest workers’ compensation insurance carriers. These groups are an alternative, as written to NYS WC Law, offering the opportunity for NYS employers to enjoy lower premiums through their own in house safety and utilization of a seasoned Group Manager providing specialized risk management services. Once a group is established, premium collected from members of a group is “pooled” for each group year and after paying losses, expenses and the development of a contingent balance for future loss development, any remaining funds may be declared back to members as a dividend. This is referred to as the