CompQuotes | Fall 2025

2026 Service center threshold update: What agents need to know

In our summer 2025 special edition of CompQuotes, we announced that the threshold for service center policies is increasing from $20,000 to $40,000 for new and renewing policies effective January 1, 2026, and later. Please refer to the article for the complexity characteristics that will remain within our regional underwriting department.

All regional policies identified for transfer to the service center due to the threshold change will be manually reviewed by our underwriting team on a monthly basis prior to transfer.

Currently, agents have access to their service center renewal pricing 60 days before renewal through Agent Online under the Expiring Policies tab. This will continue for existing service center policies.

For 2026 renewals, as we transition identified policies to the service center, agents will receive an email from their regional assistant underwriter with a list of the renewing policies being transferred to the service center, including the renewal pricing and proposed payment plan. We will send the list to agents by the 10th of each month (50 days prior to renewal). Lists for January 1, 2026 transfers will be sent to agents by November 10, 2025.

Agents must notify the regional assistant underwriter of any payment plan changes before the 19th of each month, after receiving their list of renewal policies moving to the service center due to the threshold change. Changes made to the payment plan after the 19th may require a cancel/rewrite.

During the 2026 transfer process, commissions for regional policies moved to the service center will be paid in accordance with regional commission percentages. This applies to all premiums received from policies renewing between January 1 and December 31, 2026, that SAIF identifies as transferred due to the threshold change.

Starting with the 2027 renewal period, policies transferred to the service center under the threshold change will be paid at the service center’s contract commission rates. SAIF’s temporary extension of regional commission percentages does not apply to:

• New policies written in or after 2026,
• Policies that cancel and reinstate with a gap in the 2026 term, or
• Policies that are rewritten during or after the 2026 renewal period.

If you have any questions about the transfer process, please contact your agency marketing specialist, Erika Meier, Tami Coxen, or Tina Fowler. For specific questions relating to commissions, please email commissions@saif.com.

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Payroll inflation factor remains unchanged for 2026

Effective January 1, 2026, voluntary and assigned risk policies will once again be renewed with a 5% payroll inflation factor, unchanged from the prior year. This factor increases renewal payroll to account for expected wage and employment growth, based on historical average payroll trends for SAIF policyholders and Oregon economic data.

Our agency partners continue to play a vital role in ensuring accurate payroll estimates, which are essential for calculating premiums correctly under our installment billing plans. If you provide estimated payroll figures, we will use that information to override the inflation factor. This also helps prevent re-estimates based on audited payroll received after the policy term begins.

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Agent portal update coming soon

The online menu located in the resources section will be updated soon to improve the user experience. You will notice it looks and feels a little different. In addition to its appearance, you may also notice that the SAIF employee directory is no longer available. We are removing the employee directory from all external platforms due to security risks for staff. You may call the Customer Care Center at 800.285.8525 for assistance in verifying or obtaining employee contact information. Click here to read the related article from the summer edition of CompQuotes.

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New and improved payroll resources on saif.com

SAIF has updated our payroll reporting resources on saif.com. These changes are designed to enhance the overall experience and navigation of the resources, and to help policyholders better understand the payroll reporting process.

Key improvements

• Simplified layout: We made information easier to find and more searchable.
• Clearer messaging: We’ve elevated content about what happens if payroll is not filed on time and made personal election information more prominent.
• Streamlined tables: Wages and pay information are now consolidated into a single, searchable table, making it easier to locate specific items and understand what to include or exclude in a report. 

How the new content is organized

• Overview page: A landing page with a list of links to the specific topic pages. Process page: This page is designed for users who are new to the overall process.
• Fill it out page: This is designed for users actively completing a payroll report.
• Topic-specific pages: Deep dives into areas like VTRs, class codes, and wages/pay.

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Cultivating safety: SAIF’s 2025-2026 agriculture safety seminars return across Oregon

SAIF’s 28th year of agriculture safety seminars begins this fall in 16 cities across the state. These free trainings will begin in November 2025 and run through March 2026. Ten of the trainings are conducted entirely in Spanish.

Three hours of technical and one hour of business continuing education credits are available from the Landscape Contractors Board. Four regular producer continuing education credit hours for licensed insurance agents are approved by the Department of Consumer and Business Services.

Topics

Every year, presenters aim to focus on various topics to address key safety challenges. This time around, they'll touch on:

• Breathe easy: have the right respiratory program on your farm
• Making the most of safety committee meetings
• Stop, lock, and live: Energy control that saves lives
• Fire code on the farm

Presenters

Speakers at the seminar vary yearly and include SAIF employees. Here's the line-up for this year:

• Wes Koester, SAIF safety management consultant
• Eric Lloyd, safety consultant with Risk Management Resources, Inc.
• Edgard Garcia-Ramirez, SAIF translator
• Emmanual “Manny” Arrellin-Lara, Oregon Risk Management Solutions bilingual safety consultant

Locations

The seminars start in November of this year and last through March 2026. Check here for dates and locations throughout Oregon.

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Save the date for the 2026 Workers’ Comp Seminar

The annual Workers’ Comp Seminar for agents will be held at the Salem Holiday Inn on April 2, 2026. Registration information will be emailed out in February.