VWC Style Guide

VWC STYLE GUIDE

Rev. 02/24

Titles Capitalize titles when they precede the person’s name. For example: VWC Chairman John Doe spoke at the conference. Do not capitalize a title when it follows a person’s name or is used alone. For example- The chairman added that they will be open for business soon. When referring to the VWC Chairman, use Chairman, not Chairman Commissioner, not Commissioner Chairman. Toll-free Use a hyphen. Tone On written and outgoing official documents and the website, it is recommended to write in third person. For example: The Virginia Workers Compensation Commission announces Bob Smith as its new Commissioner. Mr. Smith begins work at the Commission on July 1 st , 2020. The Commission will host a welcoming event on Friday. Incorrect example: The Virginia Workers Compensation Commission announces Bob Smith as our new Commissioner. When possible, link a word rather than listing the url link. Correct examples: Click here to visit WebFile. Email us here. Incorrect examples: Visit WebFile at http://www.workcomp.virginia.gov/webfile. Email us at education- outreach@workcomp.virginia.gov. Uninsured Employer’s Fund Note the apostrophe placement. Also known as UEF. V Verbs SPLIT FORMS: In many cases, splitting the infinitive or compound forms of a verb is necessary to convey meaning and make a sentence easy to read. Such constructions are acceptable. For example: Those who lie are often found out. How has your health been? The budget was tentatively approved. Let readability and comprehension be your guide. If splitting a verb results in an awkward sentence, don’t do it. For example: She wants to write clearly, not She wants to clearly write. U URLs Do not italicize website URLs. AP Style Guide says do not put http:// or www. before a website address/urls Correct usage example: workcomp.virginia.gov

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