SFM-The Work Comp Experts

May 12, 2026

The site will have a fresh look and feel that’s consistent with the web applications, better highlight heavily used features, allow for smoother navigation and give visitors easier access to SFM’s workers’ compensation resources.

May 4, 2026

SFM Mutual Insurance Co. announced in May 2026 that its Financial Strength Rating of “A- (Excellent)” and Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” have been reaffirmed by AM Best Rating Services, Inc.

April 20, 2026

As a mutual insurance company owned by our policyholders, we have no outside stockholders who financially benefit from our operations – SFM’s decisions are motivated only by our partners’ best interests.

April 20, 2026

Coming off a strong 2025, and with the competitive market and economic uncertainty we see today, SFM continues to lead with service and put the needs of our agency partners and policyholders first.

April 20, 2026

You can now view the recording of our latest webinar – The SFM Difference.

April 20, 2026

The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) has given SFM excellent marks for the quality of its data reporting, continuing a series of recognition from the organization.

April 20, 2026

Mark Lewis is SFM’s 2025 Richard J. Marshik Service Excellence Award winner.

April 20, 2026

April 20, 2026

SFM Agency Manager (SAM) users can now receive an email notification when the action plan is updated on one of their policyholder’s claims.

April 20, 2026

The next time users login to Provider Connection – SFM’s portal that allows medical professionals to access a wealth of information about workers’ compensation claims – they will see several enhancements.

April 17, 2026

Enhancements to Provider Connection went live April 20.

April 16, 2026

Chad Hagedorn, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at SFM, is a finalist for an ORBIE Award, which recognizes Minnesota’s top Chief Information Officers (CIOs).

April 16, 2026

The first segment of our webinar, The SFM Difference, highlighted the features and services that make us a premier workers’ compensation partner focused on the company’s history.

April 16, 2026

The second segment of our webinar, The SFM Difference, focused on the value we bring to agents and policyholders.

April 16, 2026

The third segment of our webinar, The SFM Difference, outlined how our claims handling is an extension of our customer service philosophy.

April 16, 2026

The fourth section of our webinar, The SFM Difference, outlined the premium audit, an annual process every workers’ compensation carrier conducts with policyholders to confirm the accuracy of their employee count and total payroll for the policy period.

April 16, 2026

The final segment of our webinar, The SFM Difference, focused on the medical expertise we bring to workers’ compensation coverage.

February 16, 2026

Mark your calendars now for the SFM Foundation’s 2026 Iowa and Minnesota golf events.

February 16, 2026

The results of a recent policyholder survey demonstrate the value our customers see in SFM and illustrate why we continue to have an exceptional client retention rate each year.

February 16, 2026

When a part-time high school hockey coach suffered a traumatic brain injury after hitting his head on the ice in January 2025, SFM stepped up to help his recovery go as smoothly as possible.

February 16, 2026

SAD can affect workplace morale, productivity, safety and overall employee well being. Fortunately, employers can play a proactive role in helping workers navigate this seasonal challenge with compassion and practical support.

February 16, 2026

Improvements to the State of Wisconsin online claims system were completed in August 2025, which the Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation (WC) Division touted as a “major upgrade” for insurance carriers, employers and claims adjusters.

February 16, 2026

Snow and ice can cause severe injuries at any time throughout the winter season.

February 16, 2026

From long standing philanthropic programs to hands on volunteerism and partnerships with nonprofit organizations, SFM’s charitable efforts continue to grow in both reach and impact, contributing to communities in all states in which our employees live and work.

January 19, 2026

Despite continued pressure from other carriers and mixed claims results, SFM again had a successful year in 2025.

January 19, 2026

SFM had another strong year in 2025, with gains in newer markets.

January 19, 2026

SFM writes business in more than 400 class codes. The following lists of our top 20 new business class codes by policy count and premium will give you an idea of where we’re seeing the most success.

January 19, 2026

SFM has made several improvements to its claims handling processes.

January 19, 2026

With winter in full swing — and the upcoming thawing and refreezing cycles in the months ahead — workplace safety should be paramount.

January 19, 2026

SFM is planning to participate in several industry events at the beginning of 2026.

January 19, 2026

Get news about SFM's underwriting team.

January 12, 2026

Many litigated workers’ compensation cases could have been avoided if the employer had taken the time to show concern for the employee’s welfare during the early stages of the claim.

January 7, 2026

SFM Foundation will be accepting scholarship applications for the 2025-2026 academic year until March 31, 2025.

January 7, 2026

When one of your employees is injured in the course and scope of employment and a negligent third party bears some responsibility, we can sometimes recover a portion or all of the workers’ compensation claim costs from the responsible party through subrogation.

November 17, 2025

Why older workers are more at risk for workers’ comp injuries, and four tips for preventing injuries among older workers.

November 17, 2025

A rundown of the SFM Foundation's 2025 fundraising activities.

November 17, 2025

Here are some safety tips to help prevent injuries on and around ice rinks.

November 17, 2025

Register today for our upcoming webinar for policyholders and agents, The SFM Difference, set for 10-11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3.

November 17, 2025

Employers may not be aware that their employees are at risk of injury when they participate in activities, coach or supervise others.

November 17, 2025

SFM works to make the workers’ compensation premium audit process easy for policyholders.

November 17, 2025

Follow these steps to get your employees ready for the risks of winter weather and cut down on slips and falls in the workplace.

October 20, 2025

When it comes to workers’ compensation insurance, agents count on SFM for several reasons: unparalleled service, consistent results, support for injured workers and ease of doing business.

October 20, 2025

Starting Dec. 1, SFM will begin writing business with Tennessee mid-market employers, further expanding SFM’s presence as it continues to gain a greater portion of the state’s market share. At that time, SFM will also start handling Tennessee claims in-house.

October 20, 2025

Starting Oct. 30, users of SFM web portals will log in with their email addresses rather than usernames.

October 20, 2025

Our online tool for agents, SFM Agency Manager (SAM), offers a variety of convenient features for your team.

October 20, 2025

State law requires that employers provide safe, well-maintained and accessible routes for employees to and from their parked vehicles into their place of work.

September 23, 2025

Minnesota’s 2025 legislative session resulted in a big change for small-business owners that provide building construction or improvement services.

September 16, 2025

SFM has promoted Amanda Aponte to Executive Vice President, effective Sept. 8, 2025.

September 3, 2025

Effective Jan. 1, 2026, a new Minnesota Paid Leave law goes into effect. See how it interacts with workers' compensation.

August 20, 2025

Sarah Wahlberg, Senior Claims Representative at SFM, discussed the differences between the two maladies. While both are soft-tissue injuries, strains are an injury to a muscle or tendon; sprains are injuries or tears to ligaments.

August 20, 2025

Holly Hansen, Senior Claims Representative, outlined when to report a claim and why, what might cause claims costs to increase and what causes work-related strain and sprain injuries to linger.

August 20, 2025

Sara Cooper, Senior Loss Prevention Representative, examined how employers can make their jobsites safer and mitigate the potential for musculoskeletal disorders.

August 20, 2025

Eric Johnson, Loss Prevention Specialist, discussed minimizing ergonomic risk factors in the workplace.

August 20, 2025

John Hollick, Chief Defense Counsel at SFM’s in-house law firm, outlined the legal issues that can arise from these injuries and their impact on workers’ compensation benefits.

August 20, 2025

National School Bus Safety Week brings awareness to the dangers for drivers, students and pedestrians.

August 15, 2025

Mark your calendars now to join us for the SFM Foundation’s fall 2025 events.

August 15, 2025

SFM has a wealth of resources related to school safety.

August 15, 2025

Wes Spain has been with SFM since 2022 as a Subrogation Specialist & Special Investigation Unit (SIU) Manager. We asked Spain to share a little bit about his background and role.

August 15, 2025

As an employer, you can play an important role in helping an injured worker maintain their mental health. Read on to learn how.

August 15, 2025

Employers are can be frustrated to learn that employees injured while violating company safety rules can still receive workers’ compensation benefits in some cases.

August 15, 2025

A new hands-free driving law went into effect in Iowa on July 1, 2025, highlighting legal aspects of safe driving.

August 15, 2025

If you hire a subcontractor that lacks the proper workers’ compensation coverage — or doesn’t qualify as an independent contractor — it could put you at risk for liability if a work injury occurs, depending on which state the work is being performed in.

August 15, 2025

The only controllable item in an organization’s workers’ compensation premium cost is its experience modifier (e-mod) which is directly impacted by claim costs and severity.

August 15, 2025

A strong safety culture starts with a high level of safety awareness among employees. Getting there requires consistent, effective communication between leadership and front-line workers.

August 7, 2025

These seven essential safety tips, identified by SFM's loss prevention staff, will earn your company a gold star in workplace safety.

July 14, 2025

Recently released reports on workers’ compensation market share show that SFM continues to garner more business in its core states.

July 14, 2025

SFM is off to a good start through the first six months of 2025.

July 14, 2025

The results from SFM’s recent Agency Partner Survey are in and show nearly all respondents were satisfied with SFM (93% “extremely” or “moderately” satisfied) and 91% said SFM is “easy” or “very easy” to do business with.

July 14, 2025

A look at the latest promotions and accomplishments for SFM’s underwriting staff over the first half of 2025.

July 14, 2025

SFM is planning to participate in several industry events in the summer/fall of 2025

July 14, 2025

View the recording of SFM's educational webinar on preventing strains and sprains.

July 14, 2025

The SFM Foundation’s 2025 golf tournaments generated $150,000.

July 13, 2025

Spring 2025 enhancements to SFM Agency Manager (SAM).

June 9, 2025

This is the last in a four-part series of SFM blogs recapping our November 2024 webinar, De-escalation in the workplace, An SFM webinar for policyholders.

June 2, 2025

This is the third in a four-part series of SFM blogs recapping our webinar, De-escalation in the workplace.

May 19, 2025

The SFM Foundation recently awarded this year’s round of college scholarships, helping 19 new students totaling $596,000 in funding.

May 19, 2025

Get to know SFM Team Leader Nathan Gaffaney.

May 19, 2025

CompOnline users for the same policy must now have different email addresses.

May 19, 2025

Businesses that take safety seriously may consider pursuing the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

May 19, 2025

In September 2024, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched a new severe injury dashboard.

May 19, 2025

Strong return-to-work programs lead to better outcomes for injured workers and can help control workers’ compensation premium costs for employers.

May 19, 2025

SFM's spring 2025 webinar is Preventing strains and sprains, an SFM webinar for policyholders.

May 19, 2025

On average, employees will spend a third of their lives at work, so it’s safe to say their jobs have a huge impact on their quality of life. That means it’s important to ensure their time is spent in an organization where they can have healthy relationships with their colleagues.

May 19, 2025

Warm weather is not without its own risks, especially for people who work outdoors. Watch out for tripping hazards, heat stress, severe weather and insects.

May 6, 2025

This is the second in a four-part series of SFM blogs recapping our November 2024 webinar, De-escalation in the workplace, An SFM webinar for policyholders.

April 29, 2025

This is the first in a four-part series of SFM blogs recapping our November 2024 webinar, De-escalation in the workplace, An SFM webinar for policyholders.

April 21, 2025

SFM Mutual Insurance Co. announced that its Financial Strength Rating of “A- (Excellent)” and Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” have been confirmed again by AM Best Rating Services, Inc.

April 14, 2025

SFM is off to a fast start in 2025, building on the success of last year.

April 14, 2025

SFM is making two important enhancements to its workers’ compensation operations in Indiana.

April 14, 2025

The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) gave SFM excellent marks for the quality of its 2024 data reporting.

April 14, 2025

SFM’s Ryan Jirak, who has more than 16 years of experience in the insurance industry, was recently promoted to VP of Regional Business, Large Accounts.

April 14, 2025

Shawn Miner, SFM’s VP of Regional Business, Iowa/Nebraska/Kansas Accounts, was appointed to the governing board of the Kansas Workers' Compensation Insurance Plan (KWCIP) earlier this year.

March 4, 2025

On-the-job injuries are unanticipated, urgent and unfortunate for everyone involved, but there are best practices you can follow to make a bad situation better for you and your injured employee.

February 17, 2025

When an attorney gets involved in a workers’ compensation claim, it can increase claim costs and harm outcomes for everyone involved. There are a number of steps that employers can take to prevent the kinds of scenarios that cause workers to seek representation from an attorney.

February 17, 2025

In late 2024, SFM hired Dr. Andrew Wilkins as Chief Medical Director.

February 17, 2025

HOM Furniture presented SFM's Director of Loss Prevention Lee Wendel with its Service Representative of the Year award.

February 17, 2025

Once the 2025 school year begins in fall, four students will see their college careers helped along by SFM.

February 17, 2025

AI technology has been harnessed of late to expand the ability of safety leaders to train employees, test methods, develop best practices and more.

February 17, 2025

Registration is now open for the 2025 SFM Foundation’s upcoming golf events in Minnesota and Iowa.

February 17, 2025

Sleep physicians around the world are now treating a growing number of patients with symptoms of insomnia.