Domestic cleaner insurance

paduk

Hello Everyone,

I am considering hiring a domestic cleaner for about 3-4 hours weekly, but I am uncertain about the insurance requirements for this type of situation. I have consulted my bank, which offers content insurance. Given that I reside in a converted Victorian property, building insurance is separate.

The bank mentioned that domestic employees would be covered under the "Public and Employer Liability" section. However, their explanation left me a bit perplexed. They stated that this coverage would include situations where, for example, I provided a defective hoover, leading to the cleaner's injury. But, it would not cover instances where the cleaner might trip over something and injure themselves. This differentiation seems odd to me.

To summarize my query, I'd like to understand:

Is it necessary to have insurance when hiring a domestic cleaner for 3-4 hours per week? I would hire it through on of these agencies which offer cleaning/tradesmen services;

If so, what type of insurance should I consider?

Does the "Public and Employer Liability" section under my content insurance cover all potential scenarios, or are there exceptions?

Why would a situation involving a faulty hoover be covered, but not one where the cleaner trips over an object?

I would appreciate any insights or advice on this matter.

Thank you

user1977

Have you read the policy yourself, rather than rely on somebody at the bank to interpret it for you? I would expect it to cover you for liability to any visitors.

paduk

user1977 said:

Have you read the policy yourself, rather than rely on somebody at the bank to interpret it for you? I would expect it to cover you for liability to any visitors.

Of course I have, thank you very much. That is such a helpful comment. If I didn't have doubts I would not be asking here.

user1977

If you care to share the wording (or point us towards a link where we can read the policy ourselves) we could answer the query with some certainty.

DullGreyGuy

paduk said:

If so, what type of insurance should I consider?

What risks are you wanting to cover?

That they injure themselves somehow in your property?
That they use the wrong cleaning product on your marble countertops and damage them?
That they steal your wallet/purse and go merry on contactless payments and the cash in it?

For the first one then the PL/EL section in both the Contents and Buildings will provide appropriate cover... the former covers you as the occupant of the building and the later as the owner. So if they trip on uneven path outside the Building's covers that, if they get burnt with a defective electrical appliance then Contents. 

paduk

user1977 said:

If you care to share the wording (or point us towards a link where we can read the policy ourselves) we could answer the query with some certainty.

The insurance is from Barclays Home contents. The wording goes:

Occupier’s personal and employer’s liability.

No excess applies to this section.

What is covered?

Your legal liability to pay damages and claimants’ costs and

expenses for:

• accidental bodily injury or illness;

• accidental loss of or damage to property;

which happens during the period of insurance in the British 

Isles (or another country which you are temporarily visiting)

and where your responsibility arises:

a. as occupier (not as owner) of the home; or

b. in a personal capacity (not as the owner or occupier of any

building, land or fixed property); or

c. as the employer of a domestic employee where the

accident happens from, or in the course of their domestic

employment with you.

We will pay up to the relevant limit shown on your schedule

plus related costs and expenses that we have agreed to in

writing

The definition of domestic employee within the policy is:

A person directly employed by you, solely to carry out

domestic duties at your home.

Which is also unclear as other insurances state that this is only for live-in type of employees (nannies etc) while here SEEMS to cover also  occasional cleaners.

Thank you.

paduk

DullGreyGuy said:

paduk said:

If so, what type of insurance should I consider?

What risks are you wanting to cover?

That they injure themselves somehow in your property?
That they use the wrong cleaning product on your marble countertops and damage them?
That they steal your wallet/purse and go merry on contactless payments and the cash in it?

For the first one then the PL/EL section in both the Contents and Buildings will provide appropriate cover... the former covers you as the occupant of the building and the later as the owner. So if they trip on uneven path outside the Building's covers that, if they get burnt with a defective electrical appliance then Contents. 

I would like to cover the risk of them getting injured in my property while they clean it both from things like tripping over something, falling from the stairs and using a defective hoover. It has also been my understanding that PL/EL would cover these types of scenarios but once I spoke to the insurer over the phone he said it wouldn't which left me baffled. Moreover, there is also the caveat of domestic staff definition which for other insurances I have contacted seems to cover only live-in staff...

user1977

You're covered by the occupier's liability section for all of those things (assuming you're legally liable for the accident). You are not becoming the employer of the cleaner (their employer is the agency, or perhaps they're self-employed depending on the relationship between them and the agency).