If you have a commercial insurance package policy, the chances are that there are sections of cover which are included as standard. Most policies are based on a few main factors, such as type of trade, location, sums insured for contents, stock and buildings and the overall security and construction.

In addition to these figures that you decalre, you’ll find that there are items you didn’t necessarily ask for, but you probabably need. These include money cover, legal expenses, business interruption, glass cover and goods in transit.

One section of cover that is not normally included is personal accident. This is where one of the key employees is injured, either in or out of work, and cannot work. Say, a chef who suffers a broken leg. You want that person to work, but they cannot for a few weeks at least. The personal accident pays a weekly amount which should enable you to get in a temporary replacement so the business can continue to trade.

Many people though, when they sit down and read through their policy, will see an item for “personal accident and assault” and think they are covered. If this section is next to, or part of the money cover, then it only applies to employees suffering accident or assault whilst carrying money to, or from, the bank.

The chef we mentioned above may break his leg slipping over in their back garden, this is covered under personal accident, whereas personal accident and assault would not pick this cover up.

It is not meant to be deliberately confusing, it is just the way that all business insurance companies in the UK put their policy wordings together. What you need to do is consider which of your employees you really could not do without. This does not mean that some employees are not as good, but say in a restaurant, the chef is important whereas waiting staff could be drafted in from other parts of the business if necessary.

Once you have decided on the two or three key individuals, speak to your broker and see what they can do to add this cover to your policy or to quote you a separate policy, that purely covers personal accident. You can also extend these, at a cost, to include sickness as well. They usually have an excess, where they do not pay for the first few days but when you have a key employee that could be off for a month or two, it is money well spent.

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