SB - Employers Liability Insurance

EmmaLi

My partner runs his own commercial cleaning business. He doesn't go up a ladder to do windows and the worst chemicals he uses are for cleaning showers with.

He's looking at taking staff on for the first time and has been quoted £750. This makes it pretty much unfeasible to take on anyone at the moment and I think that it seems very high, given how low his public liability insurance is (about £150).

Can anyone recommend any good insurance firms or offer some ideas why it might be so high?

Thanks

Savvy_Sue

EmmaLi wrote:

or offer some ideas why it might be so high?

Because as soon as you take on staff the likelihood of needing insurance increases. He's buying cover for anything this person might do in someone's home, but he's also buying cover for this person being a potential idiot and doing something really daft. I know (and you know ) that your OH may also be a potential idiot and do something really daft, but Employer's liability is different to Public Liability. If your OH slipped while cleaning a shower and broke his leg, he wouldn't be able to claim on the PLI, would he? But his employee WOULD be able to claim on the ELI, I believe. Not sure, not an expert, just thinking about the two things.

I'm sorry I can't offer help with better prices - I'm not saying you won't get it cheaper, just trying to explain why it costs a lot!

clairev

Join the Federation of Small Businesses more info at http://www.fsb.org.uk/
We have just joined and the benefits far outweight the subscription which includes public liability insurance for employees for free!

WHA

clairev wrote:

Join the Federation of Small Businesses more info at http://www.fsb.org.uk/
We have just joined and the benefits far outweight the subscription which includes public liability insurance for employees for free!

I also think joining the FSB is a good idea, but I don't think that membership actually includes public liability or employers liability insurance. It includes legal protection insurance, but that is a completely different thing. They claim to be able to arrange such insurance through approved brokers etc., but it's not actually included in the subscription.