Whether it be a babysitter, housekeeper, gardener, or contractor, Homeowners often have people coming to perform work on their property and in their home. While the California Homeowner’s Policy does include an incidental workers compensation endorsement in it, it also includes specific wording as to when the coverage is triggered. It does NOT cover workers who may be on your property for just a day or two to trim trees or reroof the home, for instance. In order to receive coverage in the policy, the person has to have been working for you for a certain number of days and must have earned a specific amount of money before the coverage is triggered.
Below is an example of the sample wording from the HO-90 Workers Compensation – California endorsement. Your carrier may use a modified version of the form. We suggest that you review your specific policy for clarification and understanding.
Who is covered:
A residence employee is covered if during the 90 calendar days immediately before the date of injury the employee has:
a. Actually been engaged in such employment by the insured for no less than 52 hours, AND
b. Earned no less than one hundred dollars ($100) in wages.
Residence employee is defined as an employee of any insured who performs duties in connection with the maintenance or use of the residence premises, including household or domestic services, or who performs duties elsewhere of a similar nature not in connection with the business of any insured.
There are also special endorsements that can be added for an additional premium to properly cover inservants if the people live in the home (for example, a full time nanny or caregiver).
If you have any questions as to how your policy responds to someone who works for you, please contact our office at the numbers below:
Carlsbad Homeowner’s Insurance: 760-795-2002
Riverside Homeowner’s Insurance: 951-296-6833
