Aon vs Founder Shield: How Do They Compare for Employment Practices Liability Insurance?

Founder Shield identifies startup and sector audiences and common policy structure; Aon focuses its described practice on professional-services firms. 3,10

What Is Aon?

Aon’s U.S. Commercial Risk terms describe brokerage for certain insurance programs, while its Middle Market page describes a dedicated practice for mid-sized organizations across North America. The public materials reviewed do not identify the licensed producer or insurer for a particular placement. Ask which entity will produce each line and which insurer will issue the policy; request jurisdiction details for the proposed placement and ask how compensation and claim notice work for your account. 1,2

Read the Aon profile

Read the Aon Employment Practices Liability Insurance page

What Is Founder Shield Insurance?

Founder Shield is a broker for venture-backed startups: you apply online in under 15 minutes, and an advisor shops its 200+ carrier markets to build a program that changes as your products and locations change. It doesn't insure you itself, so ask which insurer carries each policy. 4,5,6,7,8

Read the Founder Shield profile

Read the Founder Shield 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. 11,12,13

Read the full coverage guide

Key Differences in Employment Practices Liability Insurance

Arrangement and Buyer Fit

Founder Shield is a retail brokerage that places EPLI with third-party carriers, targeting startups hiring first employees as well as retail, hospitality, professional-services, technology, and nonprofit organizations. Aon’s Professional Services Practice also identifies law, accounting, and consulting firms, but does not set a startup hiring stage or broader industry list on the reviewed page. Organizations should compare the stated audience fit, then confirm the underwriter’s actual appetite. 3 9

Published Coverage and Services

Founder Shield says EPLI can cover defense costs, settlements, and judgments for wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation; it is often standalone and sometimes paired with D&O. Aon describes tailored EPL solutions and advisory support but does not enumerate these response costs or package choices. The published detail lets buyers ask Founder Shield about the carrier’s form while asking Aon how its proposed program treats the same allegations and costs. 3 9

What to Confirm in Employment Practices Liability Insurance Quotes

  • Ask Founder Shield to name the proposed insurer and provide its policy form, limits, and any D&O package terms. Ask Aon for the same details, including its producing entity, because its reviewed page is not policy-specific. 3 9

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.

Aon

6.1/ 10

Review Score

3 rated sources

Public ratings for Aon are low: Trustpilot shows 1.2 out of 5 from 782 reviews, and BBB shows 1.6 from five. Aon is a global firm, so those pages mostly reflect other parts of the business, not large U.S. commercial accounts.[4][6][7]

Read Aon reviews

Founder Shield

7.4/ 10

Review Score

1 rated source

Founder Shield has too little independent customer feedback for a reliable verdict. One positive Trustpilot review does not establish a service track record.[1][4]

Read Founder Shield reviews

Offering Details

Aon vs Founder Shield: Employment Practices Liability Insurance: documented features by provider

CriteriaAon Employment Practices Liability brokerage and risk-advisory offeringFounder Shield Employment Practices Liability Insurance
Role in This Line

Aon presents Employment Practices Liability as a line its Professional Services Practice helps arrange or advise on for professional-service firms. Aon is describing a global brokerage and advisory service, not issuing the underlying policy. The producing legal entity and carrier for any particular placement are not named on this page. 3Company-reported. Aon’s global professional-services practice page. This establishes a marketed brokerage/advisory offering, not policy issuance or account-specific placement.

Founder Shield is a retail insurance brokerage, described on its site as “the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group,” and places Founder Shield Employment Practices Liability Insurance with third-party carriers rather than underwriting the policy itself. 10Company-reported. About-us page; applies to Founder Shield's brokerage model generally, restated here for this line.

Founder Shield says EPLI is often purchased standalone but is sometimes packaged with Directors & Officers coverage, since employee-related suits frequently name corporate officers personally. 9Company-reported. EPLI product page.

Issuing Insurer

The reviewed practice page does not name the insurer or producing legal entity for a specific placement. Ask for both on the quote and binder. 3Not found in reviewed sources. Aon’s global practice page as reviewed 2026-09-30; no state-specific placement schedule or buyer quote was reviewed. This does not establish that Aon cannot arrange a placement.

Founder Shield says it places policies, including Founder Shield Employment Practices Liability Insurance, only with carriers rated A- or better by AM Best, chosen for the client's industry. It does not name the issuing insurer for this line; that depends on which carrier the policy is placed with. 6Company-reported. General carrier-selection FAQ, not specific to this line's placements.

Who It’s For

Aon identifies law, accounting and consulting firms as the audience for its global Professional Services Practice. That audience scope does not establish eligibility for every firm or other business. 3Company-reported. Audience described for Aon’s global professional-services practice. It does not establish U.S. state availability or underwriting eligibility for a placement.

Founder Shield markets EPLI to startups hiring their first employees, retail and hospitality businesses with high turnover, professional-services firms, technology companies, and non-profits with volunteers. 9Company-reported. EPLI product page.

Coverage Features

Aon describes EPL as addressing specialized liability risks arising from actual or alleged workplace wrongdoing and says it provides customized coverage solutions for professional-services firms. This does not establish any specific policy grant. 3Company-reported. Aon’s marketing description of the brokerage/coverage area. The page is not the insurer’s policy form and does not establish an insured's entitlement to coverage.

Founder Shield lists defense costs, settlements and judgments, and claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment and retaliation as what EPLI responds to. 9Company-reported. Product page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage.

Limits and Retentions

The reviewed page does not state a buyer-specific limit, retention, deductible or other placement terms. Confirm these in the quote, bond or issued policy. 3Not publicly disclosed. Aon’s global practice page as reviewed 2026-09-30; no quote, bond form or issued policy was reviewed.

Confirm in your quote.

Risk Services

Aon says its professional-services advisors use industry knowledge, insights, data and tools to support risk-management and human-capital decisions. This is a company-described advisory service, not a claim outcome or policy benefit. 3Company-reported. Company-reported advisory services on Aon’s global practice page; account-specific service scope is not stated.

Confirm in your quote.

How to Apply

Confirm in your quote.

You request Founder Shield Employment Practices Liability Insurance through Founder Shield's website or an insurance advisor rather than binding coverage directly; Founder Shield says its placement team then approaches carriers on the client's behalf. 10,6Company-reported. About-us and carrier-selection pages describe the general placement process, not a line-specific application form.

Full Comparison

More Aon vs Founder Shield Comparisons

Other Employment Practices Liability Insurance Comparisons

Sources

Aon

  1. Commercial Risk Solutions U.S. Brokerage Terms of Service. Aon; Lines 120–127: certain-program broker-of-record scope, consultation, application assistance, client signature and bind instruction, and account administration; lines 140–147: variable and contingent compensation, potential placement incentive, and client request route; lines 206–213: no price guarantee and surplus-lines limitations; lines 229–231: client insurer-notice duty unless separately agreed. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  2. Middle Market Clients. Aon; Lines 125–132: mid-sized organizations and middle-market framing; lines 165–173: dedicated practice and North America statement; lines 188–224: Commercial Risk capabilities. No numeric company-size cutoff or U.S.-only eligibility rule is stated on the reviewed page. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  3. Professional Services Practice. Aon; Named professional-services audiences and global advisory role, lines 125–128; line offerings and explanations lines 131–190; contact link lines 120–122. Global practice page; no U.S. state or account-specific placement schedule. Accessed 2026-09-30.

Founder Shield

  1. Founder Shield. Founder Shield; Opening broker description; Specialized Practices; Smart Tech, Smarter People; quote and sign-in links. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  2. Startup Insurance. Founder Shield; What Coverage Does your Startup Need?; Why Startups Choose Founder Shield; Industries We Serve; Essential Policies to Consider section. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  3. How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach? Founder Shield; FAQ answer on carrier selection: works exclusively with A-rated (AM Best) carriers, matched by industry appetite. Accessed 2026-09-23.
  4. What If Our Company Grows A Lot or Things Change During the Year? Founder Shield; Carl Niedbala answer, November 25, 2024: operational changes and coverage adjustments. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  5. Terms of Service. Founder Shield; Opening agreement; License Status; Representations and Disclaimers Related to Products or Services; Fees and Charges; Void Where Prohibited. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  6. Employment Practices Liability Insurance. Founder Shield; What Is EPL Insurance?; Who Needs EPL Insurance Coverage?; What Does EPL Insurance Cover? Accessed 2026-09-23.
  7. About Us. Founder Shield; “Founder Shield is the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group”; company history and mission. 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.

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