AIG vs The Hartford: How Do They Compare for Employment Practices Liability Insurance?

The Hartford describes EPL embedded in a BOP for most classes but excludes built-in coverage in four named states; AIG lists EPL options without a public state schedule. 3,7

What Is AIG?

AIG is the marketing name for American International Group, Inc.; AIG says its insurance products are written or provided by subsidiaries or affiliates. Its U.S. business pages list commercial casualty, property, cyber, management and professional liability, and specialty programs, but a brand-level page does not identify the insurer for a particular policy. 1,2

Read the AIG profile

Read the AIG Employment Practices Liability Insurance page

What Is The Hartford?

The Hartford suits SaaS and software small businesses seeking a BOP and an online quote; buyers needing commercial auto through self-service or built-in California EPL coverage should use another route. Eligible small-business quotes can start online in minutes. 4,5,6

Read the The Hartford profile

Read the The Hartford Employment Practices Liability Insurance page

What Is Employment Practices Liability Insurance?

EPLI can help pay covered defense costs and losses when applicants or workers allege discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination or other workplace wrongdoing. If you employ people, check the claim definition, defense costs and prior acts. 8,9,10

Read the full coverage guide

Key Differences in Employment Practices Liability Insurance

Built-In Coverage and State Restrictions

The Hartford says EPLI is built into its BOP for most classes and is also available in other packages or standalone, but notes no built-in EPL in California, Minnesota, North Dakota, or New York. AIG offers Employment Edge and related choices that may be standalone or packaged, without publishing a complete state schedule in its overview. Businesses in those four states should not assume The Hartford’s built-in option applies; ask AIG and The Hartford for state-specific forms and eligibility. 7 3

Coverage Examples and Sublimits

The Hartford lists wage-and-hour defense costs as part of built-in EPLI and includes third-party claims for most businesses, subject to state and class variation. AIG names discrimination, harassment, and wrongful retaliation but does not identify those same features in its public overview. Employers should ask whether third-party allegations and wage-and-hour defense are included in the particular quote and distinguish any sublimit from the main EPL limit. 7 3

What to Confirm in Employment Practices Liability Insurance Quotes

  • Ask The Hartford whether the quoted state and business class receive built-in EPL and what wage-and-hour sublimit applies. 7
  • Ask AIG for state availability and whether third-party or wage-and-hour terms can be added. 3

Review Scores

These averages can combine ratings for different products, locations, and customer groups, including approximate BBB grade conversions. Read each review for the sources, scope, and calculation.

AIG

4.4/ 10

Review Score

2 rated sources

Customer ratings for AIG are low: Trustpilot shows 1.9 out of 5 from 252 reviews, and NerdWallet gives 2.5 stars and notes more claims complaints than expected. These pages cover many AIG products and countries, so they only loosely describe business insurance.[1][2]

Read AIG reviews

The Hartford

4.9/ 10

Review Score

5 rated sources

The Hartford’s service record is mixed: NerdWallet rates it 4.5/5 but reports below-average small-business satisfaction. Low Trustpilot ratings add a service concern, although they mix policy types.[1][2][4][5][6][7]

Read The Hartford reviews

Offering Details

AIG vs The Hartford: Employment Practices Liability Insurance: documented features by provider

CriteriaAIG Employment Practices Liability InsuranceThe Hartford Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI)
Role in This Line

AIG markets Employment Edge and employment-practices liability options within its Financial Lines portfolio. A particular quote may use a standalone or package form; confirm the named insurer and form. 3Company-reported. Role in this product is limited to the description on the linked AIG source.

The Hartford's EPLI is built into its Business Owner's Policy for most classes, is included in its Private Choice Premier package policy, and is also sold stand-alone as Employers Premier Choice. 7Company-reported. EPLI product page as read 2026-09-23.

Issuing Insurer

Confirm in your quote.

The Hartford names Hartford Underwriters Insurance Company as the writing company for the described $25,000 Spectrum EPL limit, though other EPLI products on the page (BOP-included, Private Choice Premier, Employers Premier Choice) are not each tied to a named writing company on this page. 7Company-reported. EPLI product page footnote as read 2026-09-23.

Who It’s For

AIG presents Employment Edge for employers and also lists EPL applications for private companies, nonprofits and financial institutions. The public page does not state a complete eligibility or jurisdiction schedule. 3Company-reported. Audience is the segment AIG names on the linked source; this is not an underwriting decision, quote or guarantee of availability.

The Hartford's footnotes say there is no built-in EPL coverage in California, Minnesota, North Dakota or New York, and that the EPL program described on the page does not apply to EPL coverage written in California. Coverage and limits also vary by state and business class. 7Company-reported. EPLI product page footnotes as read 2026-09-23 (page last updated by The Hartford November 26, 2025).

Coverage Features

AIG describes protection against specified employment-practices claims, including discrimination, harassment and wrongful-retaliation allegations. The cited page’s examples are not a grant of buyer-specific policy coverage. 3Company-reported. AIG’s public product description is not the policy. Actual entitlement depends on the applicable issued form, endorsements and declarations.

The Hartford says its EPLI covers claims of discrimination (including age), retaliation, FMLA violations, wrongful discipline or termination, failure to promote, and harassment, and that third-party EPLI (claims from customers, vendors or business invitees, not just employees) is included for most businesses. Its BOP also automatically includes Wage and Hour Defense Cost coverage as part of the built-in EPLI. 7Company-reported. EPLI product page as read 2026-09-23. General coverage description; the issued policy controls.

Limits and Retentions

No buyer-specific limit, retention or deductible can be determined from the public overview. Confirm those values and any sublimits in the quote and issued policy. 3Not publicly disclosed. This statement reports only what the linked public source discloses and does not substitute for a quote or issued policy.

The Hartford's EPLI footnote states a $25,000 limit applies to Spectrum business written in Hartford Underwriters Insurance Company. 7Company-reported. EPLI product page footnote as read 2026-09-23. Applies specifically to Spectrum-program business at that writing company; other products/limits are not addressed.

Risk Services

AIG describes underwriting, claims and risk-management expertise for employment-practices exposures. Its product resources include applications and loss-prevention material; account-specific service is not specified. 3Company-reported. The linked page describes company-reported support; specific account services and third-party arrangements must be confirmed.

The Hartford says it gives employers access to hartfordhelp.com, a proprietary site with web-based training on topics like sexual harassment and wrongful termination, current articles on employment-practices trends, and model employment policies and handbooks; this program requires purchase of increased EPL limits and may not be available in all states. 7Company-reported. EPLI product page as read 2026-09-23.

Full Comparison

More AIG vs The Hartford Comparisons

Other Employment Practices Liability Insurance Comparisons

Sources

AIG

  1. Investor Relations. American International Group, Inc. (AIG); About AIG and legal footer; lines 244–246 and 327–331. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. Business. AIG US; Surplus Lines heading and paragraph, lines 357–359. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. Employment Practices Liability Insurance. AIG; Official AIG Employment Practices Liability page: Employment Edge product, covered employment-claim categories, employer audience, policy options, risk-management and claims services; see its linked forms and policy caveat. Accessed 2026-09-30.

The Hartford

  1. SaaS Insurance for Your Business. The Hartford; Audience list (software startups, SaaS, IT consulting); Get a Business Owner’s Policy; What Is Business Owner’s Policy Insurance?; general liability introduction and Get a Quote; Get Commercial Property Insurance; Commercial Property Insurance for Your Business; Benefits of The Hartford’s WC Insurance for Employers and Employees; cyber insurance and data breach descriptions; Get a quote for cyber insurance; EPLI introduction and Private Choice Premier; add-ons (workers’ compensation, data breach, commercial auto); technology professional liability mention; small-business availability banner; industry-average premium footnote; footnote 2 state restrictions; footer product-availability disclosure. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. Find a Local Insurance Agent. The Hartford; Small-business and midsize agent locators; FAQ that buyers can purchase without an agent by calling or quoting online; statement that agents may charge fees. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  3. Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance. The Hartford; What Is Employment Practices Liability Insurance?; Why Do I Need EPLI?; If You Have Employees, You Need EPLI; Prevention Is Your Best Protection; footnotes 1-4 on state availability and Wage and Hour Defense Cost. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Employment Practices Liability Insurance Guide

  1. Employment Practices Liability Insurance. Insurance Information Institute; Opening; What EPLI covers; Steps to limit employment liability risk. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. Employment Practices Liability Coverage. Travelers; I.A/II.A p.1; III.A.4–6 p.7; II.F Employment Claim, PDF p.2; I.B p.1; II.U–V p.5; II.L p.3; III.A.9 and A.13, pp.7–8; III.B.2 p.8; IV.A Settlement, PDF pp.8–9. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  3. Liability Coverage Terms and Conditions. Travelers; III.F–H p.6; III.O pp.8–9; III.F p.6; III.B–D, PDF pp.3–5; III.E–F, PDF pp.5–6. Accessed 2026-09-16.

Updated . Spot, a product of Tools for Enlightenment, publishes this research and works in the commercial insurance market. The comparison applies the same criteria to both providers. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with the page URL and supporting source.

Get Help With Insurance Buying and Renewals.

Get help buying coverage and managing renewals, with less paperwork for your team. Start with a free consultation.

Talk to Spot