Hanover Adds Employment Practices Liability to Business Owners Policy

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. is now including Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) coverage as an endorsement to every eligible new and renewal Avenues Business Owners Policy (BOP).

EPLI protects against claim of sexual harassment, job discrimination, and wrongful termination. The EPLI coverage is designed to help businesses with 25 employees or less, which traditionally can’t afford to purchase a stand-alone EPLI policy.

The EPLI coverage highlights include:
* Protection for the entity, owner and partners
* Coverage for sexual harassment, job discrimination, and wrongful
termination claims made by full-time, part-time, seasonal and temporary
employees
* Coverage on a claims-made basis (does not cover prior acts, known actsor criminal acts)
* Defense within the limits of liability on a duty to defend basis
* The ability for small businesses to choose between the standard EPLI limit of $25,000, or opt for a larger limit of $100,000 or $250,000
(state specific guidelines for limits and deductibles apply)

“Even if a small business takes precautionary steps to protect itself, it is nearly impossible to eliminate the possibility of employee-related lawsuits,” said David Firstenberg, president, commercial lines at The Hanover. “We are including EPLI in our Avenues BOP to help our agent partners offer an affordable way to protect their clients against such suits.”

Customers will have an option to waive EPLI coverage when purchasing or renewing an Avenues BOP.

Avenues BOP is part of The Hanover’s small commercial platform, which allows agents to easily quote and, in many instances, issue BOP, commercial auto, umbrella, and workers’ compensation policies, and complete endorsements online.

Source: The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc.