Glossary · PA Workers' Comp

Stop-Work Order

A Pennsylvania government order requiring a business to cease all operations immediately due to failure to maintain required workers' comp coverage.

Definition

A stop-work order is an enforcement tool available to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers' Compensation that requires a business to halt all operations until the employer demonstrates compliance with workers' comp insurance requirements.

PA Stop-Work Orders: How They Are Issued, Penalties, and How to Lift Them

Pennsylvania's Bureau of Workers' Compensation actively investigates employers for workers' comp non-compliance. Investigators may visit job sites, review payroll records, and verify coverage through the state's insurance database.

A stop-work order requires the employer to immediately cease all business operations — not just suspend new work. For construction companies, this means all job sites must stop. For retail businesses, stores must close.

In addition to the stop-work order, employers found without required coverage face civil penalties of up to $2,500 per day of non-compliance, and criminal prosecution for intentional violations.

Stop-work orders can be lifted when the employer obtains compliant workers' comp coverage and pays any required penalties.