The following employers may be eligible to benefit from the preferred worker program if they employ a certified preferred worker in a job approved by the injured worker's health care provider and the department's credentialed vocational rehabilitation professional:

(1) A Washington state fund employer with an industrial insurance account in good standing with the department, as outlined in WAC 296-17-31004(4); or

(2) A self-insured employer who employs a worker who is certified as a preferred worker under a state fund claim.