When you set up your business, preparing for any unpredicted misfortunes is essential. For instance, your employees can bring forward employment-related claims, subjecting your business to expensive lawsuits and expenses. To cushion yourself from such things, ensure you have an employment practices liability coverage.Â
EPLI meaning: An employment practices liability insurance will cover your business against employee claims of legal rights violation. The policies cover settlements or legal fees that arise from these claims. These claims can either be filed by your former employees or current employees.
Most insurance providers offer claims-made policies. This means the policy will cover the employee's claims made or reported only during the policy period. The claims-made policies are relatively cheaper compared to the occurrence policies.
For instance, if your employee files a harassment lawsuit against your company, you must report this claim to your insurer during the policy period. The claim cannot be settled if the policy has either been terminated or expired.
But it is important to note that you can add and use tail coverage when you are on the claims-made policies. This coverage gives your business coverage for any claims reported after the expiry of your employment practices liability insurance policy. It will cover incidents that occurred when the claim-made policy was still effective but were reported after the expiration of the policy.
Small businesses can opt for employment liability insurance coverage that costs from $800-$5,000 annually. The level of coverage depends on your level of coverage and associated risks in your industry. Some insurers also offer a bundled package which will cost you only $400 annually.
Employment practices liability insurance coverage (EPLI) protects enterprises against employment-related claims, including wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. EPLI insurance is good for any business that has workers. However, certain categories of businesses may be more susceptible to employment-related claims and, as a result, may benefit more from EPLI coverage. An EPLI policy coverage is the benefit for an employer; however, the employer's liability protects the insured employee. The insured is also required to maintain EPLI coverage.Â
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Here are businesses that can fully benefit from employment practices liability insurance.
Because they have so many employees who interact with customers, vendors, and other employees, retail companies can be sued for discrimination, wrongful termination, harassment, wage and hour violations, and labor law violations. EPLI coverage provides financial protection and legal resources for the prevention and defense of employment-related claims.
Manufacturing businesses can benefit from EPLI coverage as they have a large workforce, which increases the risk of employment-related claims such as discrimination and wrongful termination. EPLI coverage provides financial protection and legal resources to prevent and defend against such claims.
Senior healthcare executives are more vulnerable to wrongful termination, discrimination, and harassment, thus EPLI coverage protects them best. Healthcare executives should take use of EPLI coverage as they may not always be insured. Due to high employee turnover and increased regulatory scrutiny over workplace conditions and hiring practices, healthcare providers are at risk of litigation, so healthcare insurers should offer employment practices liability insurance.
Employment-related claims tend to arise in the construction industry due to high worker turnover and injuries, which result in workers' compensation claims. Over time, this causes stress on the company's finances which can be prevented with employment practices liability insurance coverage. This type of insurance increases productivity and reduces costs for companies by preventing common employment-related issues.
An insurance coverage limit is the maximum money your insurer will pay for any covered claim. Most EPLI policies have an aggregate limit and per-claim limit.Â
The aggregate limit is the highest amount the insurance company can pay for the total number of claims done in one period. On the other hand, the per-claim limit is the maximum amount your insurer will pay for each claim. Coverage limits range from $100,000-$25,000,000, depending on the terms of your policy.Â
You can use an EPLI Liability insurance policy in a variety of situations, such as:
Employees can believe they were discriminated against due to age, disability, color, race, sex, or religion. Other discrimination factors include pregnancy, sexual orientation, or even gender. For instance, an employee can sue your business if fired or demoted due to their religious beliefs.
Harassment can either be sexual, verbal, or physical. Employees can file a lawsuit due to personal insults, derogatory jokes, or sexual advances. Mocking an employee's accent or psychological intimidation is also a part of the harassment.
Wrongful termination will arise due to a breach of the employment contract when dismissing your employees. For instance, dismissing an employee with inadequate notice. Another example is when you terminate an employee's contract after they report any illegal activity in your business.
Retaliation will occur when you, as the employer, fire an employee for participating in a protected activity. Another example is when an employee complains they were fired or demoted after reporting harassment by their manager or supervisor.
Your employee can also file for wrongful discipline. It can include scenarios where you impose discriminatory, unfair, or disciplinary actions that do not align with the employment policy.
3rd party employment practices liability is a special coverage that protects your business from claims made by third parties. These parties can include vendors, clients, and customers, among others.
3rd party EPLI differs from the traditional EPLI since it covers non-employees with a business relationship with your company. It is mainly offered as a separate agreement in the EPLI policy and has a different limit of liability.
For instance, if you own a small business that sells electronics, one of your employees can be accused of sexual advances to a customer during a business transaction. The customer can file a claim against your business, claiming sexual harassment. In such an unfortunate case, the claim can only be covered by the third-party EPLI. The 3rd party policy is effective as it will cover court costs, legal fees, and settlement fees.
The 3rd party EPLI has a coverage limit between $ 1 million to $25 million. However, the coverage limit is determined by many factors, and your insurer will advise you on the best way forward.
For instance, a vendor can claim they were not paid for goods delivered due to their race. The vendor can file a discrimination claim against your company in this scenario.
Also, a customer can allege they were insulted by an employee in your retail store while shopping. The customer can file a claim against your store for harassment.
In the two situations, the third party EPLI will offer coverage for the legal costs and damages awarded to the claimant.
Employment Practices Liability insurance policies and Employers' Liability insurance are two distinctive types of coverage. The EPLI covers claims made by your employees against your business for any employment-related problems, such as wrongful termination or harassment.
Employers Liability Insurance, on the hand, covers any job-related illness or injuries suffered by your employee. The policy will cater to settlements, judgments, and legal fees.
For instance, if you are operating a construction company, and one of the workers is injured by a machine while working on the project. The injured worker can sue your company for negligence in offering a safe working environment. The Employers Liability insurance will cover legal fees or settlements in this case.
The employment practices liability policy differs from the professional liability insurance (PLI). The EPLI covers any employment-related claims. Conversely, PLI is essential for professionals such as doctors or lawyers. It covers claims for errors, negligence, or omissions when offering professional services.
EPLI protects your business against financial losses due to employment-related claims. It is only meant to cover all claims made by your employees who your corporation legally and directly employs. The third party employment liability insurance offers coverage made by non-employees or third parties. They can include contractors, suppliers, or customers. The only difference between these two insurance policies is the parties they cover.
