Cowbell vs 
Nationwide: How Do They Compare for Employment Practices Liability Insurance?
What Is Cowbell Insurance?
Cowbell suits small and midsize businesses seeking cyber options by company size, with technology E&O and Zurich management-liability options also available; firms needing broad commercial coverage should compare a full-service broker. Some security services cost extra. 1,2,3
Read the Cowbell Employment Practices Liability Insurance page
What Is Nationwide?
Nationwide’s commercial catalogue includes common small-business policies and separate specialty products. A catalogue listing does not establish eligibility or policy terms; confirm the issuing company and coverage for your state and business. 5,6,7
Read the Nationwide 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. 9,10,11
Key Differences in Employment Practices Liability Insurance
Company size and risk-bearing role
Cowbell’s EPL is a module in Zurich’s Select Plus management-liability product: Cowbell operates the platform and Zurich underwrites. Its stated target is private companies with fewer than 250 employees and $50 million in assets. Nationwide describes EPL for businesses seeking employee-claim protection but gives no comparable size limits in its overview. Buyers near Cowbell’s thresholds should confirm eligibility and distinguish platform access from the insurer’s underwriting role. 4 8
Access to the module
Cowbell says appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers access the EPL module through its platform API; the product is not sold directly to businesses. Nationwide directs prospects to an agent or quote request. For a company seeking direct online purchase, neither route should be assumed to bind coverage: ask who submits the application and who issues the contract. 4 8
What to Confirm in Employment Practices Liability Insurance Quotes
Cowbell and Nationwide Review Scores for 2026
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.
Cowbell Review Score
Review Score
1 rated source
Cowbell has one public rating we could find: 1.0 out of 5 on SourceForge from three reviews in 2023. That's too few and too old to say much.[8]
Read Cowbell reviewsNationwide Review Score
Review Score
4 rated sources
Experts like Nationwide more than customers do. NerdWallet gives it 4.5 out of 5 for business insurance, while small-business customers on ConsumerAffairs give it 2.5 out of 5 from 19 reviews.[1][10]
Read Nationwide reviewsCowbell vs Nationwide Employment Practices Liability Compared
Cowbell vs Nationwide: Employment Practices Liability Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Cowbell / Zurich Select Plus Employment Practices Liability | Nationwide employment practices (official overview) |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Employment practices liability (EPL) is one module within Cowbell's distribution of Zurich's Select Plus management liability product; Cowbell operates the platform, Zurich underwrites. Zurich's own page names this module 'Employment Practices and Third-Party Discrimination Liability,' broader than the plain 'EPL' shorthand Cowbell's FAQ uses. 4,3Company-reported. Management liability page intro and module list; Zurich page module-name section. | Nationwide describes offering employment practices for the audience stated on the cited product page. 8Company-reported. employment practices marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. |
| Issuing Insurer | Cowbell and Zurich both say the Select Plus modules, including EPL, are written on Zurich admitted paper. Zurich's site footer names 'Zurich American Insurance Company' in its copyright notice, but neither page states that entity is the specific policy issuer for this EPL module. 4,3Company-reported. Management liability page intro; Zurich page intro and footer. | Confirm in your quote. |
| Who It’s For | Cowbell targets this EPL module at private companies with under 250 employees and under $50M in assets, across industries such as retail, hospitality, and manufacturing. 4Company-reported. FAQ 'What size accounts are targeted?' and Target industries list. | Businesses seeking protection from employee claims; policy conditions and exclusions control. 8Company-reported. employment practices marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. |
| Coverage Features | Cowbell describes EPL as covering claims related to employment practices, including discrimination, wrongful termination, harassment, and other employment-related issues. 4Company-reported. FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?'. Cowbell says EPL claims are the most common type of management liability claim overall, most frequently alleging discrimination, wrongful termination, harassment, or retaliation for a legally protected activity such as filing a complaint or whistleblowing. 4Company-reported. FAQ 'What is the most common management liability claim?'. | The cited product page describes EPL addressing employee claims such as wrongful termination, refusal to employ, invasion of privacy, or defamation, as described by Nationwide. Marketing description only; actual coverage, exclusions, conditions, limits, and availability depend on the issued policy and jurisdiction. 8Company-reported. employment practices marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. |
| Limits and Retentions | Neither the Cowbell page nor Zurich's own Select Plus page, both read in full, publishes EPL limit or retention amounts. 4,3Not publicly disclosed. Cowbell page and Zurich page, both read on 2026-09-23. | The cited overview does not set a universal limit or retention for this line. Ask for the proposed policy form, limits, retentions, exclusions, and conditions in the quote. 8Not publicly disclosed. Only the cited marketing page was reviewed for published limit and retention information; no policy-form entitlement is inferred. |
| How to Apply | This EPL module is accessed only by appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers through the Cowbell platform's API; it is not sold directly to businesses. 4Company-reported. FAQ 'How can I access the Zurich Select Plus management liability product through Cowbell?'. | The page directs prospective customers to contact an agent or request a quote. The page does not establish a quote, bind, or coverage-effective timeline. 8Company-reported. employment practices marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. |
Related Pages for Cowbell vs Nationwide Employment Practices Liability
Employment Practices Liability Pages for Cowbell and Nationwide
Other Coverage Lines Compared for Cowbell vs Nationwide
Other Employment Practices Liability Insurance Provider Comparisons
Sources for Cowbell vs Nationwide
Sources About Cowbell
- Cowbell. Cowbell; What We Do; Assess, Insure, Respond and Improve; U.S. navigation; footer legal disclosure. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Prime Tech Product Overview. Cowbell; PDF pp. 1–4: non-admitted combined Technology E&O and cyber for technology businesses up to $1 billion; up to $5 million; surplus lines in 50 states; edition PRIME TECH US0001 1025. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus. Zurich North America; Intro on the Zurich/Cowbell collaboration; module name 'Employment Practices and Third-Party Discrimination Liability'; FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?' and 'What is the most common management liability claim?' (identical to Cowbell's page); Targeted industries list; footer copyright. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises. Cowbell; FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?' (EPL definition); FAQ 'What is the most common management liability claim?' (EPL claim types); Target industries list. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Sources About Nationwide
- Small Business Insurance. Nationwide; Small business products and solutions, lines 185–214: BOP, workers’ compensation, commercial auto, umbrella, EPLI, cyber and surety; purchase guidance lines 235–247. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Small Business Insurance Solutions for Agents. Nationwide; Specialized small commercial solutions: BOP, auto, workers’ compensation, cyber, EPLI, umbrella, inland marine and professional liability; page states appetite varies by state, lines 129–163, 191–193. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Terms and Conditions for Nationwide.com. Nationwide; P&C products not offered by all companies/states; policy/declarations control; NMI and affiliates may underwrite; each underwriter responsible for own products, lines 358–368 and 391–394. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Employment Practices Liability Insurance. Nationwide; EPLI page; employment-related claim coverage overview. Accessed 2026-09-30.
Sources for the Employment Practices Liability Insurance Guide
- Employment Practices Liability Insurance. Insurance Information Institute; Opening; What EPLI covers; Steps to limit employment liability risk. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- 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.
- 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.
