Yes, those checks you got in the mail from the BWC were real! The BWC Board of Directors approved Governor Mike DeWine’s $5 billion dividend proposal on November 2, 2020. This is the largest BWC dividend in state history and DeWine hopes it will serve as a lifeline to businesses struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic. The dividend will be the third this year, following a $1.54 billion dividend issued in April and a $1.34 billion dividend in October.
Checks were distributed to employers covered by BWC in mid-December. Gov. DeWine said that the BWC “remains in a strong fiscal position thanks largely to healthy investment returns on employer premiums, a declining number of claims each year and prudent fiscal management.” After the dividend is paid out, the BWC will have an approximate net position – assets minus liabilities – of $7.2 billion.