Hiring Household Help: Do I Need Insurance?

By Daniel Steinzeig

If you own a home, chances are, at some point, you’re going to hire someone to work on your property. Accidents can happen – a babysitter, gardener or someone coming to fix the roof could sustain injury. You’re financially liable if something happens to the people you’ve hired to work on your property or in your home. It is essential to understand if and how you’re already covered or if you need to insure your household help further.

Outside Firm

If you’re hiring someone from a business or company, such as a chef or a housekeeper, you will need to determine who the employer is. If the worker you hired is an employee of a business, chances are they are insured under their company insurance. If this is the case, ask the company for a copy of its certificate of insurance to ensure the company provides workers’ compensation and health and disability insurance.

Occasional Workers

Suppose you hire someone to help occasionally, such as a babysitter or the kid next door to shovel the snow out of your driveway. In that case, you should review your current policy and learn about the no-fault medical coverage. This coverage states that if someone other than an immediate family member is injured on your property, you can submit their medical bills directly to your insurance company for reimbursement.

Regularly Scheduled Workers

If you have one or more workers working on your property on a permanent, scheduled basis, workers’comp could be something beneficial to think about. Workers’ compensation provides medical care and rehabilitation coverages for an employee who has been injured while working. It can also provide lost wages if the employee can no longer work due to the accident. Find out if your state requires workers’ compensation for who you’re hiring, and then determine the requirements for the workers’ compensation coverage.

Knowing what types of insurance you will need as an employer is important. If you need help finding the right insurance policies, contact an agent at TrustPoint Insurance & Real Estate today.