Civil penalty (uninsured employer)
A monetary sanction a state may impose when an employer fails to secure workers' compensation coverage required by law.
States may impose civil penalties when an employer is required to secure workers' compensation but does not. Penalty formulas vary and may depend on employee count, the period without coverage, premium that would have been due, or whether an injury occurred.
California publishes multiple penalty provisions for uninsured employers in addition to stop orders and possible criminal consequences. Amounts and procedures are jurisdiction-specific and can change, so this glossary definition is not a penalty calculator for another state.
Where this definition comes from
Glossary entries are anchored to a state agency, statute, board, commission, or recognized workers' compensation authority rather than a generalized summary.