New Workers’ Compensation Trust Fund Begins Payouts as Act 8859 Reshapes Coverage

The VIDOL has implemented Act 8859, officially assuming control of the Government Insurance Fund. Employers are now required to remit workers’ compensation premiums by year’s end, with VIDOL offering webinars to ensure policy readiness by January 1.

The V.I. Department of Labor has announced the successful implementation of Act 8859, which officially transferred the Government Insurance Fund to VIDOL from the Department of Finance on August 9, 2024. Now known as the Workers’ Compensation Trust Fund (WCTF), the fund is aimed at delivering enhanced support for injured workers in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

According to the release, this week workers in both the St. Thomas and St. Croix districts began receiving payments from the newly established WCTF. Act 8859 also restructured former Government Insurance Fund employees into VIDOL’s Workers’ Compensation Administration (WCA) division, creating an Underwriting Unit with offices in both districts to streamline claims processing and improve service delivery.