SAIF was created in 1914 by the Oregon Legislative Assembly as a state agency, and in 1980 became America's first public corporation specializing in workers' compensation insurance.
In 2005, SAIF was investigated for allegedly failing to provide documents to a nonprofit group, specifically regarding a lobbying contract with former Governor Neil Goldschmidt.
[5] In 2007, SAIF began an internally designed and run wellness program that, as of 2017, had a 99% participation rate among employees.
[7] SAIF's board of directors has declared a dividend for policyholders every year since 2010, returning a total of more than $1.6 billion to its Oregon customers.
Due in part to workplace safety efforts, Oregon's pure premium rate for workers' compensation insurance either declined or stayed the same for 28 of the past 30 years.