Legal cover (home insurance) - employment. What is pre existing?

MiserlyMartin

I have had trouble at work, not been dismissed but got a written warning. If it kicks off again and I actually do get sacked outside the usual 90 day waiting period of most policies, am I covered? Is it only counted if you are dismissed? or is anything leading up to it eg disciplinary hearings etc viewed as pre existing? Some of these policies say things like "if you knew that or thought a claim was likely to occur" we will not pay.

I have searched all over the net and can't seem to find any advice anywhere on this can anyone help?

InsideInsurance

Most policies allow for "pre-existing" issues to be covered under the policy as long as you've had continuous cover. So for example under the Aviva LE cover for Employment Issues it states:

What is not covered

Any disciplinary or grievance procedures at work

Disputes with your employer which commenced before or within the first 30 days of this cover starting unless you had a similar policy which finished immediately before this cover began.

MiserlyMartin

So I'm clear, if you have had a dispute or disciplinary before the brand new policy started, then you are dismissed say 4 months after the policy started you will be covered?

InsideInsurance

As long as you've continuously held legal expenses insurance, even if its with different providers, then its fine assuming you have wording as per the above (which is the norm but may not be in every policy)

If this is the first policy you've ever had with legal expenses then it would depend on if you were dismissed 4 months later for the incident that happened before you bought the policy or if it was a different event but as a consequence of now having two disciplinaries you are now dismissed.

MiserlyMartin

I've not had legal cover before so it sounds like I won't be covered for anything relating to the disciplinary back in April, but if a new incident occurs I might be. With any luck nothing more will come of it but I would rather be covered in case they start up again with their ridiculous accusations.