Washington Employment Practices Liability Insurance
(Quotes, Cost & Coverage)

Get Washington employment practices liability insurance quotes, cost & coverage fast. EPLI covers WA businesses against employee's claims that their legal rights as have been violated including; sexual harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination and more.

WA Employment Practices Liability Insurance

Washington employment practices liability insurance (EPL insurance or EPLI) offers coverage for employers against any claims that are made against them by employees.

Typically, large companies have a significant amount of Washington employment practices liability insurance coverage. It ensures that they are prepared for any costs that may arise should an employee files a claim.

Given the fact that larger companies usually have a large employee base, having this coverage makes sense. However, it's not just big corporations that should have this type of insurance; smaller WA businesses and startups should have it, too.

In fact, it might be even more beneficial for small businesses and startups to have employment practices insurance coverage, as they tend to be more vulnerable to employee-filed claims. Why? - Because often, these types of organizations don't have a legal department or an employee handbook that details their procedures and policies regarding hiring, terminating, and managing their employees.

Who's At Risk For A Employment Practice Liability Claim?

Any business owner - from a large WA corporation to a small brick and mortar operation - is at risk of having a claim filed against them by an employee the minute they begin interviewing possible employees. For instance, should the company decide that they don't want to hire a candidate, he or she could allege discrimination and file a claim against the business.

If the business does end up hiring the person that was interviewed and ends up firing him or her later on as a result of poor attendance, for example, that person could claim he or she was wrongfully terminated.

Whether the allegations are founded or not, whenever an employee files a claim against an employer, the company could face serious financial upheaval. This is where Washington employment practices liability insurance can help.

For example, a judge could find the company guilty and a settlement would have to be paid. And, even if the claim ends in favor of the business owner, the company will still have to pay legal fees and deal with any repercussions that surround a claim, such as a tarnished reputation.

Who Does WA EPLI Protect?

Most WA employment practices liability policies protect any claims that are brought against a business owner, the business itself, management, and in some cases, other employees. This insurance covers any claims that are filed against the above-mentioned by the following individuals:

• Past employees
• Potential employees
• Temporary employees
• For-hire employees
• Independent contractors
• Vendors
• Customers

What Does Washington Employment Practices Liability Insurance Cover?

Washington employment practices liability insurance provides coverage for the costs that are associated with various types of employee claims. Examples of claims include:

• Breach of employment contract
• Deprivation of career opportunity
• Discrimination
• Failure to employ or promote
• Mismanagement of employee benefit plans
• Negligent evaluation
• Sexual harassment
• Wrongful discipline
• Wrongful infliction of emotional distress
• Wrongful termination

What Washington Employment Practices Liability Insurance Doesn't Cover

WA employment practices liability insurance typically does not cover:

• Actions that occurred outside of the United States
• Bullying
• Civil fines
• Claims of bodily injury
• Criminal fines
• Liabilities for acts of intentional or dishonest wrongdoing
• Penalties
• Property damage
• Punitive damages (can vary by state)
• Rest and meal times
• Social media usage
• The Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act (COBRA) associated claims
• The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) associated claims
• The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) associated claims
• The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) associated claims
• Unemployment benefits
• Unpaid wages
• Workers compensation

How Much Does Washington Employment Practices Liability Insurance Cost?

How much does Washington employment practices liability insurance cost? The costs that are associated with a legal claim filed by an employee, customers or vendors can be astronomical. These costs can include legal fees, court fees, settlement fees, public relations, and anything else that occurs as a result of a lawsuit. Trying to cover those costs out of pocket could potentially ruin a business. Being covered by employment practices liability insurance will help to soften the financial blow that comes when and if an employee files a claim.

The cost of this insurance varies. There are a number of factors that are taken into consideration when determining the cost, such as the type of business that is being covered, the number of people the business employees, any claims that may have been filed against the business in the past, and the net-worth of the business.

An Ounce Of Prevention Is Worth A Pound Of Cure

To help prevent employee lawsuits, educate your managers and employees about your guidelines and acceptable behavior so that eliminate problems before they start. Following are some ideas you can implement in your business right away:

• Conduct background checks on all possible candidates.
• Conduct periodic performance reviews of employees and carefully note the results in the employee's file.
• Create a job description for each position that clearly defines expectations of skills and performance.
• Create an effective record-keeping system to document employee issues as they arise, and what the company did to resolve those issues.
• Develop a screening and hiring program to weed out unsuitable candidates on paper before calling them to interview in person.
• Develop an employee handbook detailing your company's workplace policies and procedures. It should include attendance, discipline, and complaints. The employee handbook should also contain an employment at-will statement and an equal employment opportunity statement.
• Document everything that occurs and the steps your company is taking to prevent and solve employee disputes.
• Institute a zero tolerance policy regarding discrimination, substance abuse and any form of harassment. Make sure you have a policy that allows employees to report infractions without fear of corporate retribution.
• Post policies in the workplace and place and also them in employee handbooks so policies are crystal clear to everyone.
• Show employees what steps to take if they are the object of sexual harassment or discrimination by a supervisor. Make sure supervisors know where the company stands on what behaviors are not permissible.
• Use an employment application that contains an equal employment opportunity statement along with a statement, that if hired, employment will be "at-will," meaning their employment can be terminated at any time - for any reason or for no reason at all - with or without notice. Also ensure that your employment application does not contain any age indicators, such as date graduated high school, as this could increase your risk for age discrimination claims.

Further Reading On Management Liability Insurance

• Directors And Officers Insurance For Nonprofits
• Directors And Officers Liability Insurance
• Educators Legal Liability Insurance
• Employment Practices Liability Insurance
• Fidelity And Crime Insurance
• Sexual Abuse And Molestation Insurance
• Sexual Misconduct Liability Insurance

WA Employment Practices Liability Insurance Quotes

Request a Washington Employment Practices Liability Insurance quote in Auburn, Bainbridge Island, Bellevue, Bellingham, Bothell, Bremerton, Burien, Camas, Des Moines, Edmonds, Everett, Federal Way, Issaquah, Kenmore, Kennewick, Kent, Kirkland, Lacey, Lake Stevens, Lakewood, Longview, Lynnwood, Maple Valley, Marysville, Mercer Island, Moses Lake, Mount Vernon, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo, Oak Harbor, Olympia, Pasco, Port Angeles, Pullman, Puyallup, Redmond, Renton, Richland, Sammamish, SeaTac, Seattle, Shoreline, Spokane Valley, Spokane, Tacoma, Tukwila, University Place, Vancouver, Walla Walla, Wenatchee, Yakima and all other cities in WA.

Washington Insurance Rules & Regulations

In Washington State, there are certain types of insurance that you should be aware of. We will be covering the limits and regulations of insurance within the state. You should be aware of these because if you operate a business, there may be certain types of insurance that you are required to carry. In addition, even if you do not have a business, there may be certain types of insurance regulations that you should familiarize yourself with. We will be taking a close look at insurance regulations for both personal and commercial here.

WA Commercial Insurance

For business liability insurance, what you should be aware of is that Washington does not require businesses to carry business liability insurance in order to operate. Washington is a pure comparative fault state which means that an insurance adjuster must first assess fault and name the adjuster or a court will reduce the award proportionate to the fault of the plaintiff. Businesses may carry business liability insurance in order to protect themselves against these types of claims.

However, Washington does require anyone who employs at least one person full-time or part-time to carry Worker's Compensation insurance to protect them if they are injured on the job. Washington does not require any type of disability insurance for businesses nor do they require commercial vehicles to carry commercial auto insurance.

Washington Personal Insurance

There are two types of personal insurance that you should be aware of. The first is auto insurance requirements. In Washington State, you are required to carry $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in bodily injury coverage. You are also required to carry $10,000 in property damage as well as uninsured/underinsured bodily coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.

There are two life insurance regulations to be aware of in Washington State. First, be aware that there is no free look period like there is in most states. If you sign up for life insurance, you are not able to cancel within 10 days in order to get a refund on your policy premium. However, there is a law that requires timely payment on insurance claims in the state of Washington. In fact, the state requires that the beneficiaries account start accruing interest on the day of death. That means that insurance companies will have to pay more for each day that they fail to pay the benefit. There is also a misrepresentation law when it comes to life insurance in Washington.

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If you are looking for state specific Employment Practices Liability insurance quotes, costs and information: California Employment Practices Liability Insurance, Colorado Employment Practices Liability Insurance, Delaware Employment Practices Liability Insurance, Florida Employment Practices Liability Insurance, Illinois Employment Practices Liability Insurance, Kentucky Employment Practices Liability Insurance, New Jersey Employment Practices Liability Insurance, New York Employment Practices Liability Insurance, Oregon Employment Practices Liability Insurance, Pennsylvania Employment Practices Liability Insurance, Texas Employment Practices Liability Insurance, Washington Employment Practices Liability Insurance.