Cowbell vs Relm Insurance: How Do They Compare for Employment Practices Liability Insurance?

Cowbell distributes Zurich-written EPL to private companies under 250 employees through firms Zurich appoints to distribute the module. Relm Insurance sells broker-placed EPL to companies of any size, describing coverage for defense and settlement costs.

Cowbell fits private companies under 250 employees and $50 million in assets; Relm fits large employers whose broker needs wage-and-hour class-action cover. Both reach you only through a broker, and Cowbell's policy comes from Zurich through wholesalers. ^1,^3,²

What Are the Key Differences Between Cowbell and Relm Insurance Employment Practices Liability Insurance?

Small Private Companies vs Large Employers

Cowbell's EPL is for private companies with fewer than 250 employees and under $50 million in assets. Relm says any company with employees benefits from EPL, highlights fast-growing companies, and frames its wage-and-hour cover around large employers. If you're above Cowbell's limits, it's likely not an option. Choose Cowbell if you're a small private company whose broker can reach a Zurich wholesaler; ask for Relm if you're a large or fast-hiring employer with hourly staff. ¹ ³

Wage-and-Hour Cover Only at Relm

Relm describes separate cover for minimum-wage underpayment, overtime mistakes and misclassification, noting these claims increasingly arrive as state and federal class actions. Its EPL also lists breach of contract and emotional distress. Cowbell's FAQs cover discrimination, wrongful termination and harassment, and its module also covers discrimination claims from third parties, but it describes no wage-and-hour product. If overtime or classification disputes are your main worry, Cowbell doesn't address them. ³ ¹

How Each Reaches You

Cowbell's EPL module is sold only through appointed Zurich wholesalers, so your broker needs that access. Relm sells through brokers and offers no direct quote. ¹ ² ³

What Should You Confirm in Cowbell and Relm Insurance Employment Practices Liability Insurance Quotes?

Ask your broker whether Relm's wage-and-hour cover is available at your headcount and whether it's a separate policy. ³
Ask whether Cowbell's Zurich Select Plus policy covers wage-and-hour, breach-of-contract or emotional-distress claims. ¹ ³
Ask which insurer issues Relm's policy; Cowbell's is Zurich. ² ³

Cowbell vs Relm Insurance Employment Practices Liability Compared

Cowbell vs Relm Insurance: Employment Practices Liability Insurance: documented features by provider

Criteria	Cowbell / Zurich Select Plus Employment Practices Liability	Relm Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPL/W&H)
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. ¹Company-reported. FAQ 'What size accounts are targeted?' and Target industries list.	Relm says any company with employees, regardless of headcount, benefits from EPL coverage, and highlights fast-growing companies as facing rising HR-related exposure as they scale hiring. ³Company-reported. Financial Lines page framing; not a guarantee of eligibility for a particular company.
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. ¹Company-reported. FAQ 'How can I access the Zurich Select Plus management liability product through Cowbell?'.	Relm sells EPL coverage through insurance brokers; its reviewed pages do not describe a direct online quote. ³Company-reported. Financial Lines page framing; consistent with Relm's broader broker-distribution model.
Coverage Features	Cowbell describes EPL as covering claims related to employment practices, including discrimination, wrongful termination, harassment, and other employment-related issues. ¹Company-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. ¹Company-reported. FAQ 'What is the most common management liability claim?'.	Relm says EPL covers legal defense and settlement costs for employee claims including harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination, breach of contract and emotional distress, and separately describes wage-and-hour coverage for issues such as minimum-wage underpayment, overtime mishandling and employee misclassification. ³Company-reported. Financial Lines page general description; the issued policy and declarations control. Relm says wage-and-hour claims are increasingly pursued as individual and class actions at both the state and federal level, and frames its wage-and-hour coverage as addressing that growing exposure specifically for large employers. ³Company-reported. Financial Lines page 'What Is Wage and Hour Liability Insurance?' section.
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. ^1,²Company-reported. Management liability page intro and module list; Zurich page module-name section.	Relm markets employment practices liability, including wage and hour liability, as a coverage brokers can place for clients through Relm's adaptable coverage solutions. ³Company-reported. Relm line-of-business page (Relm sells through brokers); not a statement identifying the issuing insurer for a given placement.