Public liability insurance for mates?

[Kuba]

Hi all,
I'm a newly qualified sparky and I'm starting to look for work through agencies.
I have been asked for public liability insurance and I haven't been made aware of the need for me for having one.
Do you need this kind of insurance if you are looking for Electrical Improver/Mate work and be an employee, not a sole trader?
I looked it up and it is only offered to self employed or ltd companies.
If anyone can shed some light on this for me I'd be extremely grateful!
Thank you

 

[Deleted account]

If you are directly employed you don’t need it. If you are a subby or self employed you do need it.

 

[Kuba]

If you are directly employed you don’t need it. If you are a subby or self employed you do need it.

So it looks like all agencies expect you to be self-employed, have CIS, public liability insurance? You don't really come across being employed directly?

 

[Dan]

That is the case. It's not just agencies.

If you're not employed. And don't have the benefits of that. You're self employed, and need all that.

Working for cash for years and then suddenly wanting official employment usually causes this confusion lol

 

[Dustydazzler]

Very first thing I did when I took the leap into self employment after 6 years of cards in employment was to get a CIS. Number and took out £2 million of P.L insurance.

 

[Dan]

To be fair, the Public Liability insurance is cheap as chips: Check here: General Insurance for Businesses - Business - Aviva - https://www.aviva.co.uk/business/insurance/

It's usually a few tenners in return for a few million pounds of cover.

It's when you start climbing on roofs it goes up a lot.

But the cards usually relate to you being A) qualified to do the work (agencies cant give it you without quals for obvious reasons) and B) you've had the right health and safety training to be on sites etc - saves them keep repeating the training individually for each site or firm or contract etc.

But from a 'mates' point of view. I'm not sure what the deal is qualifications wise. Is it an actual trade?

Or are you just a guy who knows a lot about electrics because you've been a 'mate'. And now want to run your own jobs as an electrician, when you're not?

(Excuse the language used - I literally don't know the trade - don't mean to sound like I'm putting you down whether with or without quals!)

 

[haptism]

Hi all,
I'm a newly qualified sparky and I'm starting to look for work through agencies.
I have been asked for public liability insurance and I haven't been made aware of the need for me for having one.
Do you need this kind of insurance if you are looking for Electrical Improver/Mate work and be an employee, not a sole trader?
I looked it up and it is only offered to self employed or ltd companies.
If anyone can shed some light on this for me I'd be extremely grateful!
Thank you

No you don't need to be insured as a mate/improver. You likely working under the supervision of someone else and they should be insured. Please dont fall for it,

 

[Dan]

No you don't need to be insured as a mate/improver. You likely working under the supervision of someone else and they should be insured. Please dont fall for it,

I assume he was going for a job that required him to be a subby, if it's via an agency? - Therefore does need it?

You got a link to the job you were applying for Kuba?

Just realised too, that you're a trainee electrician - so my first reply was a bit harsh these days. Need either check my glasses or wind my neck in.

I'm rushing around threads these days like it's 1990.

 

[haptism]

No, its a con. Before you know it the agency gravy train will have labourers needing pl insurance !

 

[Dan]

If they're on site as a subby. They already do!

That's just business. Regardless of who they are or what their position is.

They need to be employed, so it's covered on their employers. Or they're not, and they need insurance.

If it's cards-in. It's covered I think?

It's not a con lol it's insurance. You can't go on a site without it.

Who is covering your labourer in your theory there? - The guy who's most likely to balls up a job, assuming he has no experience and no qualified skills? - It's the employer, or he's on a labourers card as self employed and it's been managed for him if he's cards in and taken out of his tax at that point.

You're not a cash man are you? Not in 2019! lol

 

[haptism]

I worked for agencies as a mate/improver for more than 10 years up until fairly recently. During that time I was never, not once, asked if I had have my own insurance ! On CIS I might add

 

[Kuba]

If you are directly employed you don’t need it. If you are a subby or self employed you do need it.

I assume he was going for a job that required him to be a subby, if it's via an agency? - Therefore does need it?

You got a link to the job you were applying for Kuba?

Just realised too, that you're a trainee electrician - so my first reply was a bit harsh these days. Need either check my glasses or wind my neck in.

I'm rushing around threads these days like it's 1990.

I didn’t think it was harsh, no worries, this is a learning process for me so I’ll take any advice and feedback I can get and appreciate it.

Job was advertised by an agency and they got in touch with me directly to register with them first, can’t seem to find the link to the actual job right now but they’re advertising for multiple companies looking for mates.

From what I gather, I need to register as a sole trader, at the same time register for CIS and get public liability insurance. I hear that the insurance is not a requirement but it makes sense to have it.. plus it’s not too expensive.

Yes, I want to go and work as a subby to gain as much experience as I can get and complete my NVQ.

Thank you all for feedback you’ve been extremely helpful! Let me know if there is anything else in the process I need to know of. I seem to be finding out about everything last minute as I go along..

 

[Dan]

I worked for agencies as a mate/improver for more than 10 years up until fairly recently. During that time I was never, not once, asked if I had have my own insurance ! On CIS I might add

Fair enough mate.

To be fair I scan threads and take note of all this and it's often just muddled up when it is spat back out as my own post.

The lads here will sort you out though.

 

[haptism]

No worries mate

 

[Matt]

Hi,

Just wanted to check on your story about getting insuarance.
I am trying to get insurance for myself as a mate/imptover and when I mention that to the insurance companies they get confused about what is there I am trying to get insurance for XD.
Some said "we do not insure your profession" others were like "we only insure people who hold full qualifications"... this has become pretty confusing to me now .

Have you had any luck?

Cheers,