Founder Shield vs
Relm Insurance Employment Practices Liability Insurance
Relm markets EPL and wage-and-hour to brokers, including for large employers; Founder Shield places A-rated EPLI for startups.
What Is Founder Shield Insurance?
Founder Shield is a commercial insurance broker for venture-backed and growing businesses. Buyers can request coverage through its online portal and work with advisors on insurer selection, policy changes and claims reporting. 1,2,3,4,5
What Is Relm Insurance?
Relm is a specialty insurance business serving emerging industries. Its AI range distinguishes developer liability, gaps in existing liability insurance and losses from third-party AI failures. 8,9
What Is Employment Practices Liability Insurance?
Employment practices liability insurance addresses claims alleging workplace wrongdoing, such as discrimination, harassment and wrongful termination. 11
Key Differences in Employment Practices Liability Insurance
Wholesale-Style Capacity Versus Retail Placement
Relm markets EPL, including wage-and-hour liability, as coverage brokers can place through Relm's financial-lines solutions; you do not buy it on a Relm consumer quote. Founder Shield is the retail brokerage that would approach carriers on your behalf, including AM Best A- or better paper, after a website or advisor request. Relm's reviewed page does not name the issuing insurer either. 10 7 3
Wage-and-Hour Split Versus Core EPL List
Relm says EPL covers defense and settlement for harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination, breach of contract and emotional distress, and separately describes wage-and-hour cover for minimum-wage, overtime and misclassification issues. It says those wage-and-hour claims are increasingly individual and class actions at state and federal level, aimed especially at large employers. Founder Shield lists defense, settlements and judgments for wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment and retaliation, and does not describe a wage-and-hour product on its EPLI page. 10 6
Who Each Page Highlights
Relm says any company with employees benefits from EPL and highlights fast-growing companies whose hiring scale raises HR exposure. Founder Shield names first-hire startups, high-turnover retail and hospitality, professional services, technology and volunteer nonprofits. A Founder Shield client would still need a broker path to access Relm if Relm is in the market; Relm does not sell a direct online EPL quote. 10 6
What to Confirm in Employment Practices Liability Insurance Quotes
- If wage-and-hour is a concern, ask whether Relm capacity is on the Founder Shield submission and whether it is a separate limit. 10 6
- Ask Founder Shield which A-rated carrier is quoting core EPLI and whether D&O is packaged. 3 6
- Confirm Relm's issuing insurer and whether wage-and-hour is reserved for large-employer class-action exposure. 10
- Get both forms' breach-of-contract and emotional-distress wording; Relm lists them, Founder Shield's page does not. 10 6
Offering Details
Founder Shield vs Relm Insurance Employment Practices Liability Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Founder Shield Employment Practices Liability Insurance | Relm Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPL/W&H) |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | 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. 7Company-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. 6Company-reported. EPLI product page. | Relm markets employment practices liability, including wage and hour liability, as a coverage brokers can place for clients through Relm's adaptable coverage solutions. 10Company-reported. Relm line-of-business page (Relm sells through brokers); not a statement identifying the issuing insurer for a given placement. |
| Issuing Insurer | 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. 3Company-reported. General carrier-selection FAQ, not specific to this line's placements. | The reviewed page does not name a specific issuing insurer for EPL/wage-and-hour placements. 10Not publicly disclosed. Line-of-business page as read on 2026-09-23; a specific placement's insurer is product- and jurisdiction-specific. |
| Who It’s For | 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. 6Company-reported. EPLI product page. | 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. 10Company-reported. Financial Lines page framing; not a guarantee of eligibility for a particular company. |
| Coverage Features | Founder Shield lists defense costs, settlements and judgments, and claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment and retaliation as what EPLI responds to. 6Company-reported. Product page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage. | 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. 10Company-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. 10Company-reported. Financial Lines page 'What Is Wage and Hour Liability Insurance?' section. |
| How to Apply | 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. 7,3Company-reported. About-us and carrier-selection pages describe the general placement process, not a line-specific application form. | Relm sells EPL coverage through insurance brokers; its reviewed pages do not describe a direct online quote. 10Company-reported. Financial Lines page framing; consistent with Relm's broader broker-distribution model. |
Full Comparison
More Founder Shield vs Relm Insurance Comparisons
Other Employment Practices Liability Insurance Comparisons
Sources
Founder Shield
- Founder Shield. Founder Shield; Opening broker description; Specialized Practices; Smart Tech, Smarter People; quote and sign-in links. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Quote Portal. Founder Shield; Public landing screen, Create Account and Sign In links. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- 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.
- 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.
- Claims. Founder Shield; Our Approach; How We Support Claims Management, steps 1–5; Make a claim link. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Employment Practices Liability Insurance. Founder Shield; What Is EPL Insurance?; Who Needs EPL Insurance Coverage?; What Does EPL Insurance Cover? Accessed 2026-09-23.
- About Us. Founder Shield; “Founder Shield is the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group”; company history and mission. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Relm Insurance
- Relm Launches US MGA. Relm Insurance; Opening paragraphs describing US MGA and distribution partners. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Relm Launches AI Liability Solutions. Relm Insurance; NOVAAI, PONTAAI and RESCAAI: Applicable Users and Coverage Highlights. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Financial Lines Insurance. Relm Insurance; Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPL): What Is Employment Practices Liability Insurance?; What Is Wage and Hour Liability Insurance?; Growing Fast? Make Sure Your Cover Keeps Up; Who Needs Employment Practices Liability? Accessed 2026-09-23.
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.





