Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI)
Coverage for employee lawsuits around discrimination, harassment and wrongful termination
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What is EPLI insurance?
What can EPLI insurance cover?
- Claims of workplace discrimination
- Legal harassment allegations
- Wrongful termination lawsuits
- ADA or employee rights violations
How much does EPLI insurance cost?
Starts at just $18/per employee per year†
Buy online in about 10 minutes, and cancel anytime.
Who needs Employment Practices Liability insurance coverage most?
- Businesses with employees
- Small businesses without HR support
- Industries with high employee turnover
- Any business that serves the public
Employment practices liability could help with legal costs if your business is accused of
Employee discrimination
A former employee files a lawsuit alleging they were fired because of their age, race, religion, sex or disability.**
Wrongful termination
A former employee alleges they were fired in retaliation for a whistleblower claim.
Harassment
An employee alleges they were subjected to derogatory verbal or physical behavior like jokes, slurs, comments or offensive pictures.
Privacy invasion
Confidential employee health information is leaked and an employee sues your business.
Failure to hire or promote
A well-qualified applicant sues after they weren’t hired or promoted, claiming it was because of their age, race, religion, sex or disability.
ADA violation
Someone sues your business claiming it violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, such as a visually-impaired customer who says your website does not accommodate screen reader software.
How much does EPLI insurance cost?
Employment Practices Liability coverage is available as an add-on to ERGO NEXT general liability insurance. General liability costs can start as low as $19 per month† for some low-risk businesses. And the EPLI add-on starts at just $18 per employee per year.
Several factors influence your business insurance quote, including:
- The type of work you do.
- The state where you do business.
- Your number of employees.
- Your employee turnover.
- Your employment policies and HR practices.
- The coverage limits you choose.
- Your business’s history of insurance claims.
How to buy a General Liability insurance policy with EPLI insurance online
Start a free online quote
In about 10 minutes you’ll see the exact price you’ll pay for general liability as well as your add-on EPLI insurance.
Customize your coverage
Adjust your policy limits and deductibles to pick the right coverage at the right price.
Buy 100% online
Your coverage is effective after payment. And your certificate of insurance can be shared at no extra cost.
Who needs EPLI coverage?
Restaurants and food service
Restaurants, catering teams, bakeries and cafes experience a high volume of customer interactions and can face high staff turnover. Employment practices liability coverage could help protect against claims from customers or employees around harassment or discrimination.
Retail and e-commerce
Retailers and online sellers that employ full-time, part-time or seasonal workers can face a wide range of claims related to hiring and promotions as well as firing, discrimination or harassment.
Offices and professionals
Professional services like accountants, business consultants and real estate agents that have employees are at risk for employment claims. EPLI could help cover legal costs from employee or applicant lawsuits alleging unfair treatment or harassment tied to workplace conduct.
Cleaners and janitorial businesses
Commercial cleaning companies, house cleaners and janitors often rely on small teams and frequent client contact. EPLI could help cover employment-related claims from your cleaning crew.
Construction and contractors
Construction crews and contractors often have numerous employees on multiple teams across job sites. EPLI could help with covered claims that arise from hiring, firing or employee treatment disputes.
Employment Practices Liability insurance (EPLI) FAQ
Get answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Employment Practices Liability insurance coverage.
What could EPLI insurance cover?
Employment Practices Liability insurance, an optional add-on to a general liability policy, could help cover legal fees, defense costs, settlements or judgments if your business faces a lawsuit around discrimination, harassment or a wrongful termination.
EPLI claims could come from employees, former employees, prospective job applicants, vendors or other business partners, and the public.
Some common examples of EPLI claims include:
- Sexual harassment
- Breach of employment contract
- Negligent evaluation
- Age discrimination
- Failure to hire or promote
- Wrongful discipline
- Deprivation of career opportunity
- Wrongful infliction of emotional distress
- Mismanagement of benefits
- Wrongful discipline or demotion
- Invasion of privacy
Because EPLI coverage depends on your policy details, it’s important to review what’s included in your policy.
Is Employment Practices Liability coverage legally required?
EPLI insurance generally isn't required by law. But it could help protect your business from the financial impact of covered claims involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination and other HR issues around employment practices.
What’s usually not covered by Employers Practices Liability insurance?
EPLI can do a lot to shield your business from some costs, but it generally won’t cover employee claims related to:
- Wage and hour disputes or unpaid overtime.
- Workers’ compensation or employee injury claims.
- Civil or criminal fines, including punitive damages.
- Bodily injury or property damages.
- Independent contractors or 1099 worker disputes.
- Equity compensation, stock options or benefit plan issues.
These policies are written on a claims-made basis, meaning your insurance must be active when a claim is filed. Insurers typically require policyholders to maintain continuous coverage for protection to file a claim.
What's the difference between EPLI insurance coverage and Workers' Compensation insurance?
Workers’ comp insurance could help cover employee injuries or illnesses that happen on the job. EPLI insurance coverage could help protect your business from lawsuits related to workplace practices — like professional discrimination, harassment or wrongful termination — rather than physical injuries.
Can EPLI cover part-time and seasonal employees?
Depending on your policy, Employment Practices Liability insurance could help protect your business if part-time, seasonal or former employees file employment-related claims. Some policies may also extend coverage to job applicants or contract workers.
What’s the difference between Employment Practices Liability insurance and Employers Liability insurance?
Employment practices liability insurance (EPLI) and employers liability insurance are both types of business insurance, but they protect businesses from different types of employee claims.
EPLI coverage could help with covered claims related to employment practices like discrimination, harassment, retaliation or wrongful termination.
Employers liability insurance is typically part of workers’ compensation insurance. It could help protect your business if an employee sues your business over a work-related injury or illness.
For example: A lawsuit alleging age discrimination after an employee is fired could fall under EPLI coverage. A lawsuit against your business alleging that unsafe working conditions caused an employee’s injury could fall under employers liability coverage.
How do I get EPLI insurance?
ERGO NEXT offers Employment Practice Liability coverage as an add-on to general liability insurance for eligible businesses.
You can get general liability coverage with us 100% online in about 10 minutes, and you have the option to add EPLI coverage to your policy. Your business will be covered immediately after payment, and you can get your sharable certificate of insurance (proof of insurance coverage) at no additional cost.
Start a free, no-obligation quote to see options and an exact price customized for your business. You can adjust the coverage limits to work with your budget.
If you have questions, our licensed, U.S.-based insurance professionals are available to help.
Can you buy Employment Practices Liability insurance as a standalone policy?
No, ERGO NEXT offers EPLI insurance as an add-on to general liability insurance and not as a standalone EPLI policy.
General liability could help protect your business against common risks, including injuries to people who aren't your employees and damage your business causes to someone else's property. Adding Employment Practice Liability coverage on top of your general liability coverage could provide additional protection against certain employee- and employment-related claims.
When will I get my policy and proof of insurance for EPLI?
It takes about 10 minutes to get a quote, buy coverage and get access to policy documents and your certificate of insurance (COI).
You can access your documents and COI 24/7 online or in the ERGO NEXT app for iPhone or Android.
How do I make an EPLI insurance claim?
You can file a claim anytime online or in the ERGO NEXT app.
You’ll be asked to share the details of what happened and to provide relevant photos and documentation. We strive to make claims decisions as quickly as possible so that you can get back to work.
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