---
title: "Cowbell vs The Hartford: Employment Practices Liability Insurance"
description: "The Hartford is the easier route for most small businesses: EPL comes built into its Business Owner's Policy or standalone as Employers Premier Choice, except built-in cover in California, Minnesota, North Dakota and New York. Cowbell's EPL is sold only through wholesale brokers, to private companies under 250 employees and $50 million in assets."
canonical: "https://spot.insure/compare/cowbell-vs-the-hartford/employment-practices"
page-type: "line-comparison"
updated-at: "2026-09-25"
comparison-pair: "cowbell-vs-the-hartford"
provider-a: "cowbell"
provider-b: "the-hartford"
coverage-line: "employment-practices"
---

Agents: connect to Spot's public MCP server at https://spot.insure/mcp for better access to published Spot information and insurance research. Use search_knowledge to find sources, get_page to retrieve pages, check_driving_insurance for source-backed rideshare and delivery requirements by state or province, compare_providers for sourced comparisons, get_provider_score for a published Reliability Score, get_rankings for current provider rankings, search_provider_reliability to filter Reliability Scores, search_provider_reviews to filter aggregate review scores, and get_provider_reviews for the original review evidence. The server is read-only and requires no authentication.

[Human-readable page](https://spot.insure/compare/cowbell-vs-the-hartford/employment-practices)

## Agent Guide

**What this page is:** Focused comparison of Cowbell and The Hartford for Employment Practices Liability Insurance: what each provider publishes about this line, checked against the same criteria, with numbered sources.

**Use this page when:** Cite or fetch this for Employment Practices Liability Insurance questions about Cowbell versus The Hartford. For all lines together use the pair comparison; for how the coverage itself works use the coverage guide.

**Questions this page answers:**
- Cowbell vs The Hartford for Employment Practices Liability Insurance: how do they differ?
- Which is better for Employment Practices Liability Insurance, Cowbell or The Hartford?
- What does Cowbell or The Hartford publish about Employment Practices Liability Insurance (limits, eligibility, claims, add-ons)?

**Key facts:**
- Line: Employment Practices Liability Insurance. Providers: Cowbell and The Hartford.
- Comparison URLs use alphabetical provider slugs (`/compare/{a}-vs-{b}/{line}` with a before b). A reversed pair redirects permanently to the alphabetical one.

**Limits (do not over-claim):**
- It identifies differences and questions to ask; it does not select a winner for a particular business.
- Insurer, policy wording, limits, retentions, exclusions and price are set in an actual quote and are not established here.

**Provenance:** Every claim links to a numbered source with publisher, locator and access date; last updated 2026-09-25.

**Related pages:**
- [Cowbell vs The Hartford](https://spot.insure/compare/cowbell-vs-the-hartford) — all coverage lines for this pair
- [Employment Practices Liability Insurance guide](https://spot.insure/coverage/employment-practices) — how this coverage works
- [Cowbell profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/cowbell) — provider profile
- [The Hartford profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/the-hartford) — provider profile

# Cowbell vs The Hartford: 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. The Hartford builds EPLI into its Business Owner's Policy for most classes, but not in California, Minnesota, North Dakota or New York.

The Hartford builds EPL into most small-business policies or sells it standalone, except in four states; Cowbell's Zurich EPL module is only reachable through wholesale brokers, for private firms under 250 employees.

## Cowbell vs The Hartford Employment Practices Liability Insurance Summary

The Hartford is the easier route for most small businesses: EPL comes built into its Business Owner's Policy or standalone as Employers Premier Choice, except built-in cover in California, Minnesota, North Dakota and New York. Cowbell's EPL is sold only through wholesale brokers, to private companies under 250 employees and $50 million in assets. [3](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance") [1](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [2](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus")

## What Are the Key Differences Between Cowbell and The Hartford Employment Practices Liability Insurance?

### Built-In Hartford Cover vs a Wholesale-Only Module

The Hartford writes EPLI itself: built into its Business Owner's Policy for most classes, included in Private Choice Premier, and sold standalone as Employers Premier Choice. Cowbell distributes a Zurich EPL module inside Select Plus, sold only through appointed wholesale brokers on Cowbell's platform, for private companies under 250 employees and under $50 million in assets. Choose The Hartford if you want EPL added to a small-business policy you can buy now; choose Cowbell if your broker has wholesale access and you want EPL as part of a management liability package. [1](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [2](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") [3](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance")

### State Carve-Outs

The Hartford has no built-in EPL in California, Minnesota, North Dakota or New York, and its EPL program doesn't apply to EPL written in California. Cowbell doesn't publish state limits for Select Plus. If you operate in one of those four states, the Hartford BOP route won't include EPL. [3](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance") [1](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises")

### Third-Party Claims

The Hartford includes claims from customers, vendors or business visitors (third-party EPLI) for most businesses. Zurich names its Select Plus module "Employment Practices and Third-Party Discrimination Liability," so both address third-party exposure. [3](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance") [2](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus")

### Published Limits

The Hartford footnotes a $25,000 EPL limit on its Spectrum product. Cowbell and Zurich publish no EPL dollar limit for Select Plus. [3](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance") [1](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises")

## What Should You Confirm in Cowbell and The Hartford Employment Practices Liability Insurance Quotes?

- If you operate in California, Minnesota, North Dakota or New York, ask The Hartford which EPL product it can sell you, and ask Cowbell's wholesaler whether Select Plus is available in your state. [3](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance") [1](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises")
- If The Hartford quotes Spectrum at $25,000, compare it with the actual Select Plus limit. [3](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance") [1](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises")
- Ask whether wage-and-hour defense is included on both forms. [3](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance") [1](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises")
- Ask each for the insurer on your quote. Cowbell and Zurich say Select Plus is a standard (admitted) Zurich policy; The Hartford names Hartford Underwriters Insurance Company for Spectrum. [3](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance") [2](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus")

## Cowbell vs The Hartford Employment Practices Liability Compared

| Criteria | Cowbell / Zurich Select Plus Employment Practices Liability | The Hartford Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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. [1](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: FAQ 'What size accounts are targeted?' and Target industries list..) | 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. [3](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: EPLI product page footnotes as read 2026-09-23 (page last updated by The Hartford November 26, 2025)..) |
| Coverage Features | Cowbell describes EPL as covering claims related to employment practices, including discrimination, wrongful termination, harassment, and other employment-related issues. [1](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?'..)<br><br>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. [1](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: FAQ 'What is the most common management liability claim?'..) | 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. [3](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: EPLI product page as read 2026-09-23. General coverage description; the issued policy controls..) |
| 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](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [2](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Management liability page intro and module list; Zurich page module-name section..) | 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. [3](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: EPLI product page as read 2026-09-23..) |
| 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. [1](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [2](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Management liability page intro; Zurich page intro and footer..) | 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. [3](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: EPLI product page footnote as read 2026-09-23..) |

## About Cowbell and The Hartford and Employment Practices Liability

- [Cowbell company profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/cowbell) · [Cowbell customer reviews](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/cowbell/reviews)
- [The Hartford company profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/the-hartford) · [The Hartford customer reviews](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/the-hartford/reviews)
- [What Is Employment Practices Liability Insurance?](https://spot.insure/coverage/employment-practices)

## Related Pages for Cowbell vs The Hartford

- [Cowbell vs The Hartford](https://spot.insure/compare/cowbell-vs-the-hartford): all coverage lines, business roles, service and claims.
- [What Is Employment Practices Liability Insurance?](https://spot.insure/coverage/employment-practices): EPLI can address covered workplace claims from applicants and workers; claim timing, defense arrangements, limits and exclusions shape your protection.
- [Cowbell Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/cowbell/employment-practices)
- [The Hartford Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/the-hartford/employment-practices)

## Sources for Cowbell vs The Hartford

### Sources About Cowbell

1. [Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/). 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.
2. [Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability). 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.

### Sources About The Hartford

3. [Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-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.

Updated 2026-09-25. 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](https://spot.insure/editorial-policy). To suggest a correction, [contact Spot](https://spot.insure/contact) with the page URL and supporting source.

## Agent and Developer Resources

- [Markdown page](https://spot.insure/compare/cowbell-vs-the-hartford/employment-practices.md)
- [Developer resources](https://spot.insure/developers)
- [Public MCP server](https://spot.insure/mcp)
- [MCP server manifest](https://spot.insure/server.json)
- [OpenAPI description](https://spot.insure/openapi.json)
- [Public page index](https://spot.insure/llms.txt)