With the nation working from home, where possible, there are many questions surrounding the type of home and contents insurance cover you have, and whether this is currently valid in line with your altered daily activity. There are many differences to consider with the move to remote working, such as the movement of stock and equipment being kept in a different location, changes to vehicle usage, and changes to working practices. We’ve gathered all you need to know about home working and insurance requirements below to answer all your questions.
Do I need to tell my insurance provider I am working at home?
The Association of British Insurers has confirmed that it is not a requirement for people to inform their home and contents insurance providers that they are working from home. There is not a requirement for policyholders to update their policy documents or buy additional cover if they are temporarily working from home.
There would be one exception to this; if people were visiting your home as part of your work. If this were the case, your policy would need to be updated. However, with the current government social distancing rules, this is unlikely to be the case for anybody at present.
I’ve taken my work equipment home, is this insured?
You should check with your insurance provider to see if any work-related equipment or stock, such as laptops, hard drives, phone equipment, or products would be included under your current contents’ insurance. It may be that because these items would not usually be in your home, that they are not covered under your own home contents insurance policy. However, there is no need to worry, your employer should have the appropriate cover in place to protect equipment and stock that is being used or stored away from the office.
Is my car insurance still valid?
The use of vehicles has reduced massively since the start of the pandemic. For many people who have stated on their insurance documents that their car is kept at the office car park during the day, this is no longer true. The Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates the UK financial services sector, stated that consumers are not required to inform their car insurers of the temporary change to their policy details. Insurers are taking a flexible approach to the interpretation of policy wording due to the current circumstances.
I have moved my services online, am I covered for this?
There has been an increase in people turning to online tutorials as a new form of work during this time; most popular being online fitness classes or cooking classes. Providing this public service online requires additional insurance as there is a public liability risk of an injury being caused to somebody who is using your business. A survey from the fitness industry found that over a third of online fitness instructors did not have the appropriate level of insurance to be operating. Should a customer of theirs be injured, their business could face several issues and costs. Because of the potential risks to customers, anybody with an online tutorial business such as those mentioned, should have appropriate public liability insurance.
