Business Insurance

Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI)

EPLI covers claims brought by your own employees — discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, retaliation, or failure to promote. These are among the most common lawsuits a small business faces, and defending one is expensive whether or not the claim has merit.

What it covers

  • Discrimination claims based on age, gender, race, disability, or other protected categories
  • Harassment claims, including hostile work environment allegations
  • Wrongful termination, retaliation, and failure-to-promote claims
  • Legal defense costs, which often exceed the settlement itself
  • Claims brought by former employees and, depending on the policy, job applicants

Who needs it

Any California business with employees. California employment law is among the most employee-protective in the country, which raises both the likelihood and the cost of a claim.

The exposure begins at the first hire and grows with headcount — it is not something only large employers face.

Common gaps we see

General liability covers bodily injury and property damage; workers' compensation covers on-the-job injury. Neither responds to an employment claim. EPLI is the only policy that does, and businesses commonly discover the gap when the first demand letter arrives.

How SureNest helps

As an independent broker, we compare multiple carriers to match your situation with the right policy — not a one-size-fits-all plan pushed by a single insurer.

FAQ

Common questions

We're a small team — is EPLI overkill?
The exposure begins at the first hire. California employment law is among the most employee-protective in the country, which raises both the likelihood and the cost of a claim regardless of size.
No. Workers' comp covers on-the-job injury. Discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination claims are a different category entirely, and only EPLI responds to them.
Former employees are typically covered, and depending on the policy, job applicants may be too. It is worth confirming, since a large share of claims come from people who no longer work there.

Your other policies do not cover employee claims

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