Employing somebody and insurance

[PrettyCandles]

If you employ somebody to work in your house, as a cleaner, for example, or to look after your children, who is responsible for insurance - you or them? And what should this insurance cover?

Depends on the type of insurance - cleaners or nannys can both buy professional indemnity insurance (eg. micheal morton for nannies) which will cover them for professional accidents (breaking your prize vase, or worse).
However, if you are employing someone you should have insurance to cover any accident involving them whilst they are working for you - for nannies this is covered in most domestic contents insurance (don't know about cleaners), just ring your insurer and see if they offer it.
Our insurer, when we informed them that we were employing a nanny, said that they included the employer's liability insurance as standard, but, since we had 'invited' a non-family member into our home we would not be covered for theft from the home unless there was obvious forced entry (they would assume that if anything went missing, the nanny took it )

That was meant to be a 'shocked' emoticon not a grin - oh for an edit facility.

Any employer has to have employer liability insurance. Youwould have to have it for a nanny as by definition nannies are employed but cleaners, window cleaners etc can be classed as self employed (if they also work for other people, can chose their hours, send someone else in their place etc) inwhich case they should carry public liability or prof indemnity in case they do something to you (their client).

So, as I understand it, if I employ the individual directly, then I am responsible for insurance, whereas if they are self-employed and I am their client, then they are responsible for insurance.

Does that mean that I shouldn't employ someone who claims to be self-employed unless they are themselves insured?

Do they have to also be working for other people? Or is it only in principle, for example if you are their only client at the moment but they could if they chose to or found another then work for more than one client at a time.

It is up to you whether you insist a self employed person has insurance. If they don't then you wouldn't be able to claim from them.

There is a DWI checklist that determines whether someone is self employed or employed. A lot hinges on the amount of freedom someone has to determine thier hours/work etc

If you're looking for a cleaner - it's sensible to employ one (or rather become the client of one) who has insurance - most agency cleaners will be insured, few of the non-agency ones are (at least in this area). Dh had a lovely lady clean his flat years ago, but she cost him at least as much in breakages/damage each week as he paid her (not to mention the cut hand he got from a knife that she had stuck point upwards in the kitchen) - for example, she broke his teapot the first week, then she cleaned all the stainless steel stuff in the kitchen with a bleach spray - ruined it - a couple of weeks later.
The last cleaner we had was not insured but was a 'professional', and didn't damage anything that I can remember.

On the other hand, our nanny has professional insurance, which we pay for, since we are happier knowing that she is insured and she wouldn't pay for it as a priority (she doesn't see it as important).

If you are thinking of a mother's help (childcare plus cleaning) - I have no idea if they are generally considered as self-employed or employed. If they are employed by you, in the same way as a nanny, remember that you may be responsible for their income tax and national insurance, as well as other regulations like 20 days holiday a year. (If you need to go along this route give me a ring/email )