What is employers’ liability insurance?
Employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement under the Employers’ Liability Act 1969. It’s there to protect your employees if they get injured or become ill as a result of working for your business. It covers the damages, compensation costs and legal fees that a current or ex-employee is entitled to as a result of illness or injury which may have been caused while working for your business.
Employers’ liability insurance covers:
- Full-time and part-time employees
- Self-employed contractors you hire
- Temporary staff, apprentices and volunteers
- People taking part in work experience or training schemes
What does employers’ liability cover?
Employers’ liability insurance can pay the compensation amount and legal costs if an employee, or an ex-employee, claims compensation for a work-related illness or injury.
Employer’s liability insurance covers full-time and part-time employees, any self-employed contractors you hire, temporary staff, apprentices, volunteers, and people taking part in work experience or training schemes.
Included as standard with AXA you get £10 million cover, cover to pay health and safety law prosecution costs, £250 compensation per day if you need to attend court to defend a claim made against you, and access to a 24-hour legal helpline.
Additionally, you as an employer are responsible for covering your employees who work from home. With AXA, your employer’s liability cover extends to those staff who may be working for you full-time or part-time from home while they carry out work for your business.
- Up to £10 million compensation cover
If you’re taken to court by an employee who has been injured or harmed as a direct result of the work that you do, you’ll be covered for compensation up the cost of £10 million.
- Compensation for court attendance
If you need to attend court as the result of a claim, then you’ll be covered for £250 per day. Compensation is given if court attendance is required by a director, partners or employees.
- Automatic cover for temporary employees
If you have any staff who are only in your employ temporarily, these employees are automatically covered for up to 50 man days. This could cover, for example, 1 employee for 50 days; 5 employees for 10 day, or 50 employees for 1 day.
How much does employers’ liability insurance cost?
Our employers’ liability insurance customers pay from £52* for their cover – but the quickest way to find out the price that’s right for you? Get a quote online.
It’ll take a few minutes – plus, if you decide to buy, you’ll get an automatic 10%** discount. Mix it with any of our core covers or add-on protection to create custom insurance.
Do I need employers' liability insurance?
No matter how careful you are, workplace injuries happen, and in the case of occupational diseases, claims can happen many years down the line. That’s why, If you employ anyone, even temporarily, employers’ liability insurance can cover compensation costs and legal fees, and, in most cases, it’s a legal requirement.
If you don’t have employers’ liability insurance, it could cost you dearly and not just from a compensation claim. If you employ even one member of staff on any basis, including volunteers, and if you don’t have it, you face being fined £2500 for every day you are uninsured. You can also give us a call and chat to one of our friendly and experienced advisors who’ll keep you right.
What is the difference between public and employers’ liability insurance?
Public liability insurance covers your business against claims made by third parties, such as customers, clients, or members of the public. It protects you against an accidentally injuries or property damaged cause by your business or its products.
Whereas Employer’s liability insurance is a legal requirement under the Employers’ liability Act 1969 for any business with employees. It covers anyone that you’re responsible for, including includes employees (both full and part-time), volunteers and trainees. It protects them if they get injured or fall ill as a result of working for you.
Who is usually exempt from employers’ liability insurance?
If you don’t have any staff, volunteers, apprentices or volunteers in your business and work completely alone, then of course you won’t need employers’ liability insurance.
There are some cases when your business will be considered exempt. If you’re:
- A limited company, with only one person employed who owns more than 50% share of the capital
- Self-employed
- Equal partnerships with no employees
- A company with only direct family members
If you only employ family members, then you may not be legally required to spend on employers’ liability insurance – but you still may want to consider investing in it.
If you don’t, and an accident or injury is caused, then you’ll be liable for the financial consequences of compensation claims and possible legal costs.
Because if something goes wrong, you’ll still be liable to pay out for legal and compensation fees. If you’d like to learn more about employers’ liability insurance, visit gov.uk.
What other types of business insurance do I need?
There are several other types of cover that you can get to go alongside Employers’ liability.
Public liability insurance
If you deal with members of the public in your day-to-day business, then public liability insurance is vital. If someone gets accidentally injured, or their property is damaged as a result of your business, this cover will protect you against third party claims. We offer cover levels starting at £1 million as standard and ranging up to £5 million.
Professional indemnity insurance
If you provide advice to customers or clients, then professional indemnity insurance protects you in case your advice causes monetary loss for client and results in claim. We offer cover levels up to £5 million, with specialist policies available for certain professions.
Contents cover
Most businesses have stock and contents that they need to protect, and if you do we’ve got you covered with our contents insurance for businesses. We can cover you for various things, such as contents, stock, tenants’ improvements, and your shop front. With the option to add cover for loss of money, deterioration of stock and goods in transit too.
What’s a typical example of an employers' liability claim?
No matter how safe and responsible an employer you think you are, workplace injuries and accidents happen.
Maybe a construction worker on your site falls from shoddily constructed scaffolding. An electrical engineer is injured by carrying out work without the right tools. Or perhaps a trainer in your gym is injured tripping over a loose floor tile.
Whatever fate hits you with, it’s better to be safe than sorry. The protection your employees need could be cheaper than you think – plus, it’s an investment against future risks and claims costs.
Find out more about different kinds of employers’ liability claims here.
Is AXA's employer liability insurance right for your business?
There are many reasons to choose AXA employers’ liability insurance. Here are eight for starters.
Six great reasons to choose AXA Business Insurance
- You get £10m cover as standard
Employers’ liability insurance must cover you for at least £5 million. But that’s not always enough, so at AXA, we give you £10 million cover as standard. - Court attendance costs are covered
If we need you to be in court because of an employers’ liability claim, we’ll pay you up to £250 per day. - Temporary staff are covered too
Our employers’ liability insurance automatically covers temporary employees for up to 50 working days. - Free access to a tax and legal helpline
With us, you’ll get free access to a tax and legal helpline*** provided by Arc Legal Assistance Ltd. It’s reassurance when you need it most. - Quick and easy online quote
Buying insurance can be tricky business, but our online quote is quick, easy and mobile-friendly. - Cover you can trust
We’ve got a 4.6/5 Feefo rating from customers1 – now that’s cover you can rely on. When you insure with AXA, you can rest easy knowing we’ve got your back if the worst should happen.
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About us
Keep your company up-and-running no matter what with AXA’s business insurance. We offer flexible, tailored cover to help sole traders, self-employed people and small and medium-sized businesses grow.
Landlord? We’ll protect your commercial or residential property. Use a van? Stay on the road with our comprehensive van insurance.
Running a business is hard work. That’s why we keep insuring one simple.
*10% of our customers paid this or less between July and September 2024.
**This discount is applied automatically and lasts for the lifetime of your policy.
***The guidance is provided on behalf of AXA by Arc Legal Assistance Ltd who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
1Rated 4.6/5 based on 16,854 total reviews. Figure accurate as of 25/01/2024.