{"id":27416,"date":"2026-01-30T14:08:36","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T14:08:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/?p=27416"},"modified":"2026-01-30T14:08:47","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T14:08:47","slug":"do-you-need-employers-liability-insurance-for-contractors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/do-you-need-employers-liability-insurance-for-contractors","title":{"rendered":"Do you need employers\u2019 liability insurance for contractors?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Blog-Does-employer-liability-insurance-cover-contractors-and-subcontractors.png\" alt=\"Does employer liability insurance cover contractors and subcontractors.\" class=\"wp-image-27410\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:300px;height:150px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Blog-Does-employer-liability-insurance-cover-contractors-and-subcontractors.png 600w, https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Blog-Does-employer-liability-insurance-cover-contractors-and-subcontractors-300x150.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>We all need a little extra help from time to time. Often, that\u2019s someone whose expertise you can rely on to get the job done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But if you\u2019re taking on someone whose welfare you\u2019re also legally responsible for, you\u2019ll need to make sure you\u2019re protecting them with the right insurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Which begs the question: do you need employers\u2019 liability (EL) insurance for working with contractors? Or sub-contractors for that matter?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s important to do your research before you take any helpers on board. You can be fined heavily for not having EL: \u00a32,500 for every day you\u2019re supposed to have it but don\u2019t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Plus another \u00a31,000 for not displaying a valid insurance certificate. <em>Gulp.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Help, not hindrance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Employers\u2019 liability insurance is a <strong>legal requirement<\/strong> if you have employees. That&#8217;s because you have a legal and moral obligation to protect your staff\u2019s health and safety while they&#8217;re at work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Carrying EL means if one of your employees has an accident or gets sick, their medical bills and any compensation they&#8217;d be entitled to are covered. As well as all the legal costs that comes with dealing with their claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But where does that leave you if you work with contractors or sub-contractors? Surely, being self-employed means they\u2019re not your employees? And you don\u2019t have to carry EL for them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A wide definition<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, there\u2019s more to it than that. Because according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), you&#8217;d need employers&#8217; liability insurance for anyone <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hse.gov.uk\/pubns\/hse40.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u2018who you employ under a contract of service or apprenticeship\u2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That includes any employed staff who are on your payroll and whose national insurance and income tax you handle. But also:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Temps and seasonal staff<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Secondees<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Volunteers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Work experience students<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Contractors and some types of sub-contractors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>So I <em>do<\/em> need employers\u2019 liability insurance for contractors then?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re planning to work with any contractors, you\u2019ll need employers\u2019 liability insurance the entire time they\u2019re contracted by you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why? The clue\u2019s in the word \u2018contract\u2019&#8230;it&#8217;s a direct agreement where someone carries out a specific role, task, or piece of work for you. And where, in return, you look after them just as if they were one of your own employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the same way you&#8217;re responsible for providing them with all the tools they&#8217;d need to do their job, you&#8217;re also responsible for the environment they work in and what happens to them while they&#8217;re there.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But it also depends on the <em>type<\/em> of contractor you work with. Because, if you\u2019re hiring in extra help through a temping agency or umbrella company, that organisation will often act as that person&#8217;s legal employer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So you should check your temp&#8217;s employment status before you hire them. And ask whether their agency\/umbrella company covers them under their own employers\u2019 liability policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That should clear up the question of whether you&#8217;d need to carry EL for them or not&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What about sub-contractors?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Just like when you&#8217;re working with contractors, what matters here isn\u2019t your sub-contractor&#8217;s employment or tax status but what they do for you. As well as <em>how<\/em> and <em>where<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, generally, there are two types of subcontractors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Labour-only subcontractors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bona-fide subcontractors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Labour-only subcontractors tend to work under your direction and control and as part of your team. They\u2019re often on your premises and free to use your equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In contrast, bona-fide subcontractors will usually work off-site, using their own tools and equipment. They might have multiple clients. Because of that, they&#8217;ll generally set their own hours and decide how and when they\u2019ll carry out tasks for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, while these definitions should mean you&#8217;d need EL for labour-only subcontractors and <em>not<\/em> for bon-fide ones, this doesn\u2019t always work out in practice&#8230;and is why most brokers advise you carry employers\u2019 liability insurance for <strong>any<\/strong> subcontractors you work with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>So I&#8217;d need employers\u2019 liability insurance for contractors <em>and<\/em> subcontractors then?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In our view, that\u2019s the best policy (excuse the pun).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because even if you\u2019re not responsible for your bona-fide subcontractor\u2019s working environment when you first hire them, that doesn\u2019t mean it&#8217;ll stay that way. Or that someone won&#8217;t accuse you of aggravating their long-term health condition after their contract\u2019s over&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whatever the situation, EL steps in if you\u2019re ever in a position where you\u2019d have to defend yourself from employee injury claims. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because while EL looks after the people who work for you, it also protects you from the kinds of eye-watering compensation figures that could easily drag your business under&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, that&#8217;s why most employer&#8217;s liability policy wordings use a very broad definition of what constitutes an \u2018employee\u2019. To cover as many people as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Easy onboarding<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now you know employers\u2019 liability insurance covers any types of contractors and subcontractors you work with, it\u2019s worth paying attention to the details of their onboarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Making sure they&#8217;re 100% comfortable with what they&#8217;re doing and how, fulfils your legal obligations towards them. But it also reduces the chances they&#8217;ll later file a claim against you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s a few things to think about:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Contracts<\/strong> \u2013 ideally, these will set out your legal and tax obligations and define any expectations you have. You might, for example, want to include things like the length of their contract, working hours, any rules for on-site\/off-site working, payment terms, policies around data handling and confidentiality, etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Training and equipment<\/strong> \u2013 does your contractor\/sub-contractor have everything they need to do their job? Such as access to the right tools and systems, help with workstation set-up, IT support, etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Health and safety<\/strong> <strong>briefings<\/strong> \u2013 e.g. the location of fire exits, what to do in an emergency, access to medical kits, personal protective equipment, appropriate risk assessments, etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Record keeping<\/strong> \u2013 keeping track of who did what, how, and when means any potential claims can be investigated quickly and easily.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Insurance<\/strong> \u2013 checking what insurance your contractor has or should have means everything\u2019s in place from day one. For example, even if you have their EL covered, you might still want them to have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/public-liability-insurance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">public liability<\/a> for accidental damage or injury. Or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/professional-indemnity-insurance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">professional indemnity<\/a> to cover them for negligence in their work.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Personnel helper<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ideally, taking on board a contractor makes light work of a tough job. Supporting you where it matters, for as long as you need them, as an easy alternative to hiring another employee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having employers\u2019 liability insurance means they\u2019re protected while carrying out that critical work for you. But there\u2019s more to think about besides&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/employers-liability-insurance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The UK government\u2019s employers\u2019 liability insurance guide<\/a> explains about different types of workers and what your obligations are to them. While the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hse.gov.uk\/pubns\/hse40.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">HSE\u2019s guide to employers\u2019 liability insurance<\/a> is essential for finding out about who needs employers\u2019 liability insurance and why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019d like more info and advice on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/employers-liability-insurance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">employers\u2019 liability insurance<\/a>, you can also check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/employers-liability-insurance-all-you-need-to-know\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">our at-a-glance guide to EL<\/a>. Or give us a call on <strong>0345 222 5391<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Image used under license from Shutterstock.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We all need a little extra help from time to time. Often, that\u2019s someone whose expertise you can rely on to get the job done. But if you\u2019re taking on someone whose welfare you\u2019re also legally responsible for, you\u2019ll need &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/do-you-need-employers-liability-insurance-for-contractors\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[131,132],"tags":[312,315,214,140,192],"class_list":["post-27416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-employers-liability-insurance","category-small-business-advice","tag-contractors","tag-employers-liability-insurance","tag-health-and-safety","tag-running-a-business","tag-subcontractors"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\r\n<title>Do you need employers&#039; liability insurance for contractors?<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you use contractors, you might be wondering if you need insurance. 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