More people than ever are working from home. Some are working remotely as remote employees of larger businesses. Others choose to set up and run their own businesses from home.

If you’re working from home, either as an employee or a self-employed business owner, then certain insurance products can provide total peace of mind that you’ll have an essential safety net in case anything goes wrong.

In this post we’ll discuss some of the key insurance products you should consider if you work from home.

For more information about the insurance implications of working from home, including how remote working might affect your home insurance, take a look at our full guidance here.

Risks Of Working From Home

A major risk you’ll face when working from home is loss and damage from fire, flood, theft, and other disasters.

Does My Home Insurance Cover Me For Working From Home?

Your home insurance should cover you for most of these losses. For example, it should cover you for any repairs or renovations your house may need following a fire, flood, or break in. And you may also have contents insurance, which might cover the loss or theft of the equipment you use to run your business, such as your laptop, phone, printer, and so on.

Do I Need Insurance When Working From Home?

Your home insurance will not cover you for business interruption – that is, any loss of income you may experience following an incident. Indeed, not all home insurance policies cover homes for business use. So check your policy just in case, as there may be some gaps in your cover that you’re not aware of.

Also, your contents insurance may not cover your property for loss or damage sustained outside the home. So if anything happens to your equipment when you’re on the job, visiting clients, or travelling, then your current contents insurance may not cover you.

Getting Cover for Working With Others While Working From Home

If clients or customers ever visit your home, you could be liable for anything that happens to them or their property while they’re on your premises. Similarly, you may be liable for any injuries or damages you cause when visiting clients or customers, whether it’s a home visit or a trip to a client’s business premises.

If you employ any members of staff while running a business from your home, then you’ll be liable for any accidents or injuries they sustain in their line of work. That’s why all employers have a legal obligation to get employer’s liability insurance. This is one form of cover that you simply cannot do without!

Don’t Forget the Risk of Cyber Attacks

If you’re working from home, then you’re almost certainly doing most, if not all, of your work online. This means that your business is vulnerable to cyber-attacks.

A cyber breach could sink your business overnight. And studies show that cyber-criminals are more likely to target small businesses over larger businesses. They’re not going to ignore your business just because you work from home.

Indeed, some cyber-criminals might target you just because you work from home. To them, this might mean that you won’t have necessary protections in place against attacks, and you won’t be able to effectively respond to their cyber-breach. Working from home can make you vulnerable, and cyber-criminals are always looking for vulnerabilities to exploit.

Essential Insurance If You’re Working From Home

So we’ve established that, if you’re working from home in any capacity, you’ll face a lot of risks. And what’s more, your current home or contents insurance may not cover you for all of these risks.

This is the sort of insurance cover you should consider if you’re working from home:

• Public Liability Insurance – If clients or customers visit your home, this will cover any accidents that might take place while they’re on your premises.
• Cyber Breach Response – This will cover you for any costs involved in investigating and revering from any hacks or cyberattacks.
• Employer’s Liability Insurance – As we said above, if you employ any members of staff, then you have a legal obligation to get employer’s liability insurance.
• Contents Insurance – This will cover any electronics or other expensive equipment you use as part of your work.
• Buildings Insurance – If your home insurance doesn’t cover your property for business use, then you may have to take out additional buildings insurance.
• Management Liability (Directors & Officers) – if a claim is made against your business’s directors and officers for alleged wrongful acts.
• Health Insurance and Income Protection – if you are unable to work due to an accident or for medical reasons.

We also have a full guide to running a business from your home. As well as insurance, this blog covers things like business rates, staffing, running a business from a rented house, and many other considerations.

Bespoke Insurance Cover For Working From Home

We can tailor an insurance package that will cover you for all the risks you might face when working from home. Get a free quote online in minutes.

If you have any questions, or you’d like to discuss your options, you can contact the Tapoly team at info@tapoly.com, call our info line on +44(0)207 846 0180, or use the chat box on our website.