If you are a business with employees or a business that works with third parties (customers), you should become familiar with this acronym.   

Employment Practices Liability Insurance

Do you hire or fire employees?  Has anyone heard the latest “news” around the water cooler?  Do you perform employee reviews?  Do you provide raises or promotions?  Do you or your employees interact with customers or vendors?  Have you ever told a joke at work?

All of these things can lead to an Employment Practices claim.  What is an Employment Practices claim?  Any claim of actual or alleged abuse, harassment, failure to promote or provide a raise, inappropriate hiring or firing, the list goes on.

Lawsuits involving race, retaliation, and harassment make up the top three Employment Practices claims.  There are also lawsuits alleging wrongful termination, failure to promote, being offended by a joke…  You’re getting the picture.

Of course, many of these claims could prove to be groundless.  However, defense costs alone could end up costing major dollars, possibly up to $50,000.  Without Employment Practices Liability Insurance you could be left paying out of your own pocket.  Wouldn’t you rather dip into an insurance company’s pocket?

Studies show that it is more likely for your business to suffer an Employment Practices loss than a General Liability or even a Fire loss.  Are you prepared?

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission website, www.eeoc.gov, has excellent information regarding laws and regulations pertaining to employers.  The Home Page even gives examples of recent lawsuits and how they were settled.  It’s an eye-opener!

Employment Practices Liabilty Insurance can provide you with the protection you need.  Limits can be purchased to include defense costs and claims brought against you by a third party, such as a vendor or customer.  You can also buy a policy that provides defense costs in addition to the coverage amount.  It’s not too late to find out if your insurance agent can provide you with this coverage.  It’s a call worth making, and it’s insurance worth buying.