TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Olympus Pools received another major blow when the state of Florida issued a stop work order for failure to have workers compensation insurance.
The news comes just one day after Olympus Pools owner James Staten told Investigator Shannon Behnken that he expected to finish hundreds of pools by the end of the year.
The next day, employees weren’t even allowed to work, because of the state order.
Florida’s Department of Financial Services issued the order and said the company cannot open until that proof of insurance is sent to the state. As part of the stop work order being lifted, the company would also have to pay a fine of at least $1,000, depending on how long the company worked without insurance.
A spokesman for Olympus Pools says the company does have insurance, but that policy wasn’t active until today. He said a past due balance was paid earlier this week but did not say how long the company has been without insurance.
It is worth noting that much of the work on pools is done by subcontractors who are required to carry their own insurance.
Olympus Pools issued this statement to customers:
“Please note, there are many posts and comments regarding a statement made by a worker from Florida’s Division of Workers Compensation stating we do not have worker’s compensation insurance. Despite what you are hearing and reading, WE DO CURRENTLY HAVE AN ACTIVE WORKERS COMP INSURANCE POLICY IN PLACE. Our previous coverage had temporarily lapsed due to missed payment and the financial struggles we had been going through. However, our previous balance was paid in full earlier this week. During that process, we have also changed workers comp insurance carriers and the state of Florida had not received the updated policy information yet. We have provided them with the certificate of insurance today. We apologize for any added frustration or inconvenience this may have caused. It is also important to note that most workers you see at your property are subcontractors with their own workers comp policies.”
