What does it cover?

Workplace Violence coverage offers expense protection for any act or threat of deadly force involving the use or display of a lethal weapon occurring on work premises, which could or does result in bodily injury or death to an insured person. A typical policy includes defense and indemnity, for third-party claims arising from violent acts (e.g., claims brought by non-employees, patrons, customers, vendors, students), business interruption coverage until the affected site can resume normal business operations, a specified dollar amount death benefit to family of employees killed due to a violent act and excess "Employer Liability" protection for employee claims stemming from Workplace Violence.

Claim Scenarios

NOTE: The claims scenarios summarized are offered only as examples. The examples are not intended to establish any standards of care or to serve as legal advice appropriate for any particular factual situations. Coverage depends on the actual facts of each case and the terms, conditions and exclusions of each individual policy.

1. An employee threatens to assault his supervisor at the workplace. Due to the severity of the threat, the employee was dismissed and building security was contracted for 3 months.

Outcome - The company paid $85,000 for 65 days of extra security measures.

2. A female employee was being stalked by her former boyfriend, who had a past criminal record for violent acts. The employee notified her employer about the stalking by her ex-boyfriend and that she obtained a restraining order against him. A week later the ex-boyfriend appeared at the company and confronted the employee, at which time he shouted threatening remarks at her while waiving a clenched fist in her face.

Outcome - The company had to pay approximately $45,000 for a security consultant to assess the situation and to provide additional security at the premises for 3 weeks.

3. XYZ Company terminated an employee for nonperformance. The employee had made threats that he would retaliate against his supervisor if anything ever happened to his job. Immediately after his termination interview he became distraught, produced a knife from his desk, and stated that he would make the company pay for the loss of his job.

Outcome - The company retained a security consultant to advise how to respond to this situation and survey the security procedures at XYZ’s offices. XYZ also hired additional security for its office and arranged for security protection for the supervisor at her residence when it was disclosed the disgruntled employee knew her address. The additional security at the office and the supervisor’s residence was provided for 10 days. The cost to conduct the investigation and to provide additional security for 10 days was approximately $50,000. Investigative fees cost the company more than $35,000.

Examples of who buys:

All companies.