In Georgia, part-time and seasonal workers count toward the three-employee threshold just like full-timers, so if three or more people are regularly in service you need workers compensation even if none of them is full time. There is no minimum weekly hours test and no waiting period before coverage attaches.
Who this is for: Georgia owners who staff with part-timers or seasonal help, such as shops, cafes, and businesses with a busy season.
The short version
- Part-timers count. Georgia counts regular part-time workers toward the three, the same as full-time staff.
- Seasonal help counts too when the business regularly staffs up for a season as its normal practice.
- No hours minimum, no waiting period. A regular part-timer counts from their first day; there is no threshold number of hours.
- Three is the line. Once three or more people are regularly in service, coverage is required (O.C.G.A. section 34-9-2).
- You cannot dodge it by trimming hours. Cutting people to part-time does not remove them from the count.
How the count works with part-time and seasonal staff
Georgia's rule is about people regularly in service, not hours worked. That means a crew made entirely of part-timers can trigger the mandate, and a seasonal pattern you repeat each year counts as regular.
| Staffing pattern | Subject to the mandate? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Three regular part-timers, no full-timers | Yes | Part-timers count toward the three |
| Two full-timers plus one weekend part-timer | Yes | Three people regularly in service |
| Three seasonal workers you rehire every peak season | Yes | A repeated seasonal pattern is regular |
| Two employees plus a genuine one-off casual helper | No | A true one-time casual is not counted |
| One or two part-timers only | No | Below three regularly in service |
What "regularly in service" means for seasonal work
Seasonal businesses sometimes assume the off-season resets the count. Georgia reads "regularly" as your pattern, not a single slow week, so a business that predictably staffs up to three or more each season is treated as regularly employing three during that time. If your normal practice reaches three, plan on the policy applying whenever those workers are on. The safest approach is to line coverage up before the season starts, since a new hire is covered from day one and there is no grace period.
Why part-time-only shops still need it
Because a policy is required at three regardless of hours, a shop that runs on part-timers gets the same duty as one with full-time staff. Skipping coverage because everyone is part-time is a common and costly mistake. Below three employees you are not required to carry, but you also lose the Act's protection against being sued over an injury, so even smaller part-time crews sometimes insure voluntarily.
A Savannah example
Illustrative, not a quote. A Savannah ice-cream shop runs with four part-time scoopers in summer and drops to one in winter. During summer the shop has three or more people regularly in service, so Georgia requires a policy for that season, effective from each worker's first day. The owner cannot avoid it by pointing to the quiet winter, because the summer staffing is the regular pattern. Lining up coverage before Memorial Day means every scooper is protected on day one. See our workers comp for restaurants and cafes page.
Real questions Georgia owners ask
Do part-time employees need workers comp in Georgia?
They count toward the three-employee trigger. If three or more part-timers are regularly in service, you need a policy, even if none of them is full time. Hours do not change the count.
Do seasonal workers count toward the three in Georgia?
Yes, when staffing up for the season is your regular practice. Georgia reads regularly in service as a pattern, so a peak-season crew of three or more triggers the requirement during that time.
Can I avoid workers comp by keeping everyone part-time?
No. Part-time workers count toward the three the same as full-timers, so cutting hours does not remove them from the count. A crew of three part-timers still makes coverage mandatory.
Is there a minimum number of hours before a worker counts?
No. Georgia has no minimum weekly hours test for the count and no waiting period. A regular part-timer counts from their first day of work.
I only have two part-time employees. Do I need a policy?
Not by state law, because two is below the three-employee trigger. You may still buy one, and you lose the Act's lawsuit protection when you are below the threshold and uninsured.
Does the off-season drop me below the requirement?
Not if your regular pattern is three or more during the season. Georgia looks at your normal staffing, not a single slow stretch, so plan on the policy applying whenever the seasonal crew is on.
When does a seasonal hire become covered?
From day one, once the business is subject to the Act. There is no grace period, so line up coverage before the season starts rather than after the first shift.
Why Georgia owners choose Morrow
- We shop the right market for you. In Georgia you buy workers' comp on the open market from any private insurer licensed in the state, because Georgia has no state fund, and if no carrier will take you the NCCI-run assigned risk plan is the guaranteed fallback, so we can shop your rate freely and still have a backstop for hard-to-place work.
- We catch pricing mistakes. Your price depends heavily on the category your work falls into for pricing (the class code). Put people in the wrong category and you overpay for years. We review your payroll and classifications before you buy.
- Proof of coverage, fast. Need a certificate (proof of coverage) for a general contractor or a landlord before Monday? We turn those around the same business day for most carriers.
- We help lower the score that drives your price. Insurers give you a score based on your past claims that raises or lowers your cost (the experience modification rate). We review it each year, flag errors, and connect you with return-to-work and safety resources that bring it down.
- Real people when a claim happens. When someone gets hurt, we stay involved through the life of the claim, not just at renewal.
Related Georgia guides
Every Georgia business is set up a little differently. These companion guides answer the same question for other situations, plus the national explainers behind the terms used here.
- Business insurance in Georgia (start here)
- Workers comp: the owner's overview
- I own an LLC: do I need workers comp?
- I'm a sole proprietor: do I need workers comp?
- I own a corporation (C-corp or S-corp): do I need it?
- We're a partnership: do we need workers comp?
- We're a nonprofit: do we need workers comp?
- My workers are 1099: do I still need it?
- I only employ family: do I need workers comp?
- Remote or out-of-state staff: do I need coverage?
- What happens if I don't carry workers comp?
- How much does workers comp cost?
- How do I get workers comp (even if turned down)?
- What insurance do I need for a contractor license?
- Workers compensation insurance, explained
- What workers comp costs (national guide)
- Hiring your first employee: what changes
- What workers comp does not cover
- Georgia restaurant workers comp
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Georgia rules and penalty amounts can change, so verify current requirements with Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation or a licensed advisor before you rely on them. Last updated: July 2026.