Employers Liability

The Council’s Employers Liability insurance provides an indemnity in respect of the council’s legal liability to pay damages to employees as a result of bodily injury, illness or disease arising out of and in the course of their employment and includes all costs and expenses incurred with our insurer’s written consent.

As with public liability insurance, there must be a legal liability on the council to pay a claim, so some form of legal negligence must have occurred on the part of the council.

Those persons who are covered by the Employers Liability insurance are as follows:

  • permanent employees whether they are full or part time, under a contract of service or apprenticeship with the Council
  • persons supplied to or hired or borrowed by the insured under the terms of a written agreement
  • persons on work experience or similar scheme
  • persons who are employed or engaged by the Council in connection with the business

It is important to note that volunteers are deemed to be third parties and are therefore covered by the Public Liability insurance.

If you are approached by an employee wanting to make a claim against the council:

  • Do not give any opinion as to liability.
  • Advise the employee that they must submit their claim in writing to the Insurance team.
  • If you receive a letter of claim, do not acknowledge it but send it by fax or email the same day to the  Insurance team. Details for the team can be accessed by using the contacts link on the right.
  • The Insurance team will acknowledge the correspondence and forward it to insurers in order that they can start investigations into the claim.

It is important that the following are adhered to once a claim has been made against the Council by an employee in your department:

  • You will be sent a claim form and this must be completed as soon as possible and returned to the Insurance team.
  • Insurers may ask the Insurance team for further information and when asked, you must reply with the requested information as soon as possible.
  • Do not enter into correspondence or discussions with the employee at any time.
  • If Insurers choose to appoint a claims investigator, you must be as co-operative as possible and answer their questions honestly and in a timely manner.
  • If the matter goes to court, do not worry, the Insurance team will support you through the process.