Glossary · PA Workers' Comp

Code 953 (Clerical Office Employee)

The workers' comp class code for clerical, administrative, and office employees in Pennsylvania — one of the lowest loss cost codes in the PCRB filing.

Definition

Code 953 is the PCRB workers' compensation class code for clerical office employees — administrative staff, data entry workers, accountants, and other office-based roles who do not expose themselves to the physical risks of field or production work.

Code 953 Qualification Rules and the Audit Risks of Misclassification

Code 953 carries one of the lowest loss costs in the PCRB filing because office work has very low injury rates. This makes payroll allocation between field/production and clerical roles one of the most impactful classification decisions for many employers.

To qualify for Code 953, employees must work exclusively in a clerical or administrative capacity. Employees who occasionally venture into the field, production areas, or other hazardous locations may not qualify for 953 — even if their primary work is administrative.

Common roles that qualify for Code 953: bookkeepers, accountants, dispatchers (if fully office-based), administrative assistants, data entry clerks, and marketing staff who work exclusively in offices.

Improperly classifying field or production employees as 953 is a common audit finding. If a "clerical" employee visits job sites, operates equipment, or performs any physical work, they should not be coded to 953.