Business Insurance
Employers’ liability insurance for UK businesses from £7 per month*
Employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement for most UK businesses with staff. Get a quote in minutes.
- By law, employers are required to have cover, and for a minimum of £5m. Tide provides £10m as standard
- Tailored to your industry, your team and how you work
- Tide is trusted by over 2 million businesses worldwide
- Pay monthly and cancel anytime
- Personalised quotes in minutes
- Tide is FCA Regulated
Get covered in three simple steps
Getting business insurance through Tide is straightforward. Quotes in minutes, no lengthy forms, just the protection your business needs.
Tell Tide about your business
Such as, what type of business you have, the size, how many employees.
Get your quote
Get personalised insurance quotes from Tide, tailored to your business type and circumstances.
Buy your policy
Happy with your quote? Complete your purchase securely online and get your certificate of insurance straight away.
Tide Business Insurance
Public Liability Insurance
Covers claims if a member of the public is injured or their property is damaged as a result of your business activities.
Read more…
Employers Liability Insurance
Required by law if you employ anyone in the UK. Covers compensation claims from employees who are injured or become ill as a result of their work.
Read more…
Professional Indemnity Insurance
Covers claims that your advice, services or professional work caused a client financial loss. Important for consultants, freelancers and service businesses.
Read more…
Benefits of Tide Business Insurance
Tide, a name businesses trust
Tide already supports over 2 million freelancers, contractors and businesses worldwide.
Tide Insurance is built with simplicity and transparency that business owners have come to expect from their business banking.
Protect your business quickly and easily.
Cover that fits your business
Not every business needs the same protection. Take out a single policy or combine multiple types of cover based on your business needs.
Just answer a few straightforward questions about your business and get quotes in minutes
Easy to Manage
Pay only for what you need, pay monthly and cancel anytime.
Manage your policies and documents in the app.
More insurance options available as you grow.
All legal and regulatory responsibilities for business insurance services introduced on the Know Your Business webpages are held by Tide Insurance Services Ltd.
What is employers’ liability insurance?
Employers’ liability insurance protects your business if an employee makes a claim against you, for issues such as an injury, illness or accident that occurred as a result of their work.Unlike most types of business insurance, employers’ liability cover is a legal requirement in the UK. Under the Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969, any business that employs one or more people must hold a valid policy with a minimum of £5 million in cover.
Failure to hold valid employers’ liability insurance can result in a fine of up to £2,500 for every day your business is uninsured. You must also display your certificate of employers’ liability insurance at your place of work, or make it available to employees electronically.
The policy covers you for legal defence costs and any compensation awarded to an employee who successfully claims. If you employ anyone in the UK, full-time, part-time, temporary, or on a casual basis, you almost certainly need employers’ liability insurance.
What does employers’ liability insurance cover?
Employers’ liability insurance covers claims made by employees (or former employees), a standard policy often covers:
✓ Compensation claims from employees injured as a result of their work
✓ Work-related illness claims, including stress, repetitive strain injury and industrial disease
✓ Legal defence costs if an employee takes action against your business
✓ Claims from part-time, temporary, seasonal and casual workers
✓ Claims from apprentices and work experience placements
✓ Cover for incidents that occurred during the policy period, even if the claim is made later
Employers’ liability insurance does not usually cover claims from self-employed contractors (who are responsible for their own insurance), claims arising from deliberate acts of harm, or liability to clients or members of the public (that’s for public liability insurance).
Who needs employers’ liability insurance?
Employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement for almost every UK business that employs one or more people. You’ll need it if you employ:
- Full-time or part-time permanent staff
- Temporary or seasonal workers
- Apprentices or trainees
- People on work experience placements
- Labour-only subcontractors who work under your direct supervision
- Family members, if your business is an incorporated limited company
There are very limited exemptions. You may not be legally required to have employers’ liability insurance if your business is a limited company with a single employee who owns more than 50% of the share capital, or if you only employ close family members and are not a limited company. If you are unsure whether you qualify for an exemption you can refer to the easy to digest guide from The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) which details who needs cover and what exemptions might apply. HSE is the official body that enforces the law and you can find their guide on the HSE website.
How much does employers’ liability insurance cost?
The cost of employers’ liability insurance depends on the number of people you employ, the type of work they do, your claims history and the industry you operate in. Policy prices are based on multiple factors, so the only way to know a real cost is to get a personalised quote based on your specific business.
Employers’ liability insurance FAQs
Is employers’ liability insurance a legal requirement?
Yes, for almost all UK businesses that employ one or more people. Under the Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969, you must hold a minimum of £5 million in cover. Failure to do so can result in a fine of up to £2,500 per day. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) is the official body that enforces this law.
Do I need employers’ liability insurance for part-time staff?
Yes. Employers’ liability insurance applies to all employees, regardless of whether they work full-time or part-time. It can also be necessary to cover temporary workers, seasonal staff, apprentices, and anyone on a work experience placement.
Do I need employers’ liability insurance if I only use contractors?
It depends on the nature of the arrangement. If a contractor works under your direct supervision and you control how and when they work, they may be treated as an employee for insurance purposes. Genuinely self-employed contractors who provide their own tools and set their own hours are generally not covered by your employers’ liability policy, they should hold their own. Always make sure you check on which basis they are covered if you use self employed contractors before they join you.
What is the employers’ liability insurance certificate?
When you take out an employers’ liability policy, you receive a certificate of insurance. You are legally required to make this available to all your employees either by displaying it at your place of work or making it accessible electronically. There is a fine of £1000 for failure to comply with this requirement.
Can I get employers’ liability and public liability together?
Yes, and for most businesses that employ staff and work with the public, having both is common You can often combine employers’ liability, public liability and professional indemnity into a single package through most providers