If your only workers in Pennsylvania are part-time or seasonal, yes, you still need workers compensation, because the state has no hours minimum and no part-time exception. A single part-time employee triggers the requirement, and coverage must be active before that person's first shift, the same as it would for full-time staff.
Who this is for: Pennsylvania owners whose team is made up of part-time, seasonal, short-hours, or temporary help, and who assume a small or occasional workforce means they can skip coverage. It does not. This guide explains why limited hours do not change the rule.
The short version
- No hours minimum: Pennsylvania does not set a number of hours before coverage is required.
- One part-timer is enough: a single part-time or seasonal worker triggers the requirement.
- Short-term counts: seasonal and temporary staff must be covered while they work.
- Family part-timers count too: a relative working limited hours is still an employee.
- Only owners are the exception: excluded owners aside, part-time employees must be covered.
Which part-time situations need coverage
People often assume a small or occasional workforce is exempt, but Pennsylvania measures whether you have an employee, not how many hours they work. Here is how common part-time setups land.
| Your staff | Coverage required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| One part-time worker, a few hours a week | Yes | No hours minimum in Pennsylvania |
| Seasonal staff for a busy stretch | Yes | Covered for the period they work |
| A temporary hire for one project | Yes | Short-term work still counts |
| A part-time family member | Yes | A relative on the payroll counts as an employee |
| Just the owner, no employees | Depends on owner type | Excluded owners are not required to cover themselves |
Why the hours do not matter
Workers comp exists because any employee can be hurt on the job, and a part-timer who slips, lifts wrong, or is cut is exactly as covered as a full-timer would be. Pennsylvania does not offer a discount from the rule for small teams, and the penalties for going without coverage do not shrink because your staff is part-time. What does change with a small, part-time payroll is the price: premiums are based on payroll, so a modest part-time payroll usually means a modest premium. That makes covering part-time staff far cheaper than most owners expect, and far cheaper than an uninsured injury.
A quick Pennsylvania example
Illustrative, not a quote. A gift shop in State College staffs up for the holidays with three part-time seasonal clerks who each work two shifts a week. Because Pennsylvania has no hours minimum, all three must be covered while they work. The owner buys a policy, and because the payroll is small the premium is modest. When one clerk strains her back moving stock, the policy pays her treatment and part of her lost wages. Had the owner skipped coverage on the theory that seasonal part-timers do not count, that injury could have brought penalties and a bill from the state's uninsured fund.
Real questions Pennsylvania owners ask
I only have part-time employees in Pennsylvania. Do I need workers comp?
Yes. Pennsylvania has no hours minimum, so a single part-time employee means you must carry workers comp. Coverage should be active before that person's first shift.
What about seasonal staff I only hire a few months a year?
They must be covered while they work. Seasonal and temporary status does not exempt a worker in Pennsylvania; coverage applies for the period they are on the payroll.
Does a worker who does only a few hours a week count?
Yes. There is no minimum number of hours. Even someone working a couple of short shifts a week is an employee who must be covered.
My part-time worker is a family member. Same rule?
Yes. A relative working part-time for pay counts as an employee in Pennsylvania and must be covered, the same as any other part-time hire.
Will covering part-time staff be expensive?
Usually not. Premiums are based on payroll, so a small part-time payroll generally means a modest premium, far less than the cost of an uninsured injury.
What if I only work in the business myself, with no staff?
Then it depends on your owner type. Sole proprietors, partners, and LLC members are not required to cover themselves, while corporate officers are covered by default.
Are the penalties smaller because my staff is part-time?
No. The penalties for going uninsured do not shrink for a part-time payroll. Going without coverage is treated the same whether your staff is full-time or part-time.
Why Pennsylvania owners choose Morrow
- We shop the right market for you. Pennsylvania is an open, competitive market: you can buy coverage from any private insurer licensed in the state or from the state-run State Workers' Insurance Fund (SWIF), and Morrow shops multiple carriers to find the best fit instead of leaving you with a single option.
- 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 Pennsylvania guides
Every Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania (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
- Retail store workers comp in Pennsylvania
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Pennsylvania rules and penalty amounts can change, so verify current requirements with Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, Bureau of Workers' Compensation or a licensed advisor before you rely on them. Last updated: July 2026.