Founder Shield vs 
THREE by Berkshire Hathaway: How Do They Compare for Workers’ Compensation Insurance?
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. 1,2,3,4,5
Read the Founder Shield profile
Read the Founder Shield Workers’ Compensation Insurance page
THREE small business insurance: coverage, issuer and buying routes
THREE markets a packaged commercial insurance product through a direct quote route and partner agents. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company is named as issuer on THREE’s sample policy. 8,9
Read the THREE by Berkshire Hathaway profile
Read the THREE by Berkshire Hathaway Workers’ Compensation Insurance page
What Is Workers’ Compensation Insurance?
Workers’ compensation can pay medical care and part of an employee’s lost wages after a work-related injury or illness. If you have staff, check who is covered in each state; owners, contractors and some workers may be treated differently. 11,12,13,14
Key Differences in Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Carrier Selection and Placement
Founder Shield says it places workers' compensation with third-party carriers rather than underwriting it and selects carriers rated A- or better by AM Best for the client's industry. The buyer requests coverage through the website or an advisor, after which the placement team approaches carriers. THREE instead lists workers' comp as a category within its combined BOP and starts with an online quote and licensed advisor support. Ask Founder Shield which carrier it approaches for your job classes and ask THREE which issuer applies to its package. 7 3 10 8
Benefits and Policy Scope
Founder Shield describes medical expenses, partial wage replacement, rehabilitation and death benefits, with employer liability available as an optional add-on. THREE identifies workers' compensation as one BOP category but leaves policy details to the quote and issued documents. Employers comparing the proposals should check whether employer liability is included or added, and how state-specific benefit terms apply. 6 9
What to Confirm in Workers’ Compensation Insurance Quotes
- Ask Founder Shield for the proposed carrier, A- rating basis, benefit limits and whether employer liability is included or optional. 3 6
- Ask THREE to confirm workers' comp is selected and identify issuer, state forms, benefits and employer-liability terms. 10 9
- Compare how each quote handles your industry, employee count and states of operation. 6 8
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.
Founder Shield
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 reviewsTHREE by Berkshire Hathaway
Review Score
2 rated sources
The inspected sources report separate measures: NerdWallet’s 4.0/5 editorial rating is excluded from the source-rating average; Trustpilot displayed 2.5/5 from five user posts and BBB displayed 4.8/5 from 265 reviews. Trustpilot and BBB include different purchase, service and agent/intermediary interactions, not a verified common policyholder cohort. BBB separately lists complaints. Any source-rating average weights eligible platforms equally and is not a pooled, representative customer-experience estimate or a claims-quality measure.[4][3][1][2]
Read THREE by Berkshire Hathaway reviewsOffering Details
Founder Shield vs THREE by Berkshire Hathaway: Workers’ Compensation Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Founder Shield Workers' Compensation Insurance | THREE Business Owners Policy |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Workers' Compensation 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. | THREE presents Workers’ Compensation as a component of its combined Business Owners Policy rather than identifying it as a separate standalone policy on the reviewed product page. 10Company-reported. Company-described U.S. package structure. The page does not establish underwriting terms or that every listed category will be included for every applicant. |
| Issuing Insurer | Founder Shield says it places policies, including Founder Shield Workers' Compensation 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 linked sample policy's declarations identify Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company as issuer. 9Company-reported. This is the issuer named on the public sample only; the sample does not establish the issuing entity for every state-specific quote or buyer's issued policy. |
| Who It’s For | Founder Shield's page says most states require workers' compensation as soon as a company hires its first employee, and highlights construction, restaurants/hospitality, professional offices, healthcare and retail as buyer segments. 6Company-reported. Workers' Compensation Insurance product page. | The reviewed product page does not state separate eligibility rules for Workers’ Compensation; the general quote and advisor route is not proof that a particular business qualifies for it. 10,8Not publicly disclosed. Eligibility and state availability remain unestablished for an individual risk until THREE returns its quote and applicable forms. |
| Coverage Features | Founder Shield lists medical expenses, a portion of lost wages, rehabilitation costs, death benefits, and an optional employer-liability add-on as what the policy covers. 6Company-reported. Product page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage. | THREE's Business Owners Policy page lists Workers’ Compensation among its marketed coverage categories in the combined policy. This describes the product page, not whether the category appears in a particular quote or responds to a loss. 10,9Company-reported. Official THREE package marketing for Workers’ Compensation. The sample policy is state-selectable and does not establish that this item is included in every quote or issued policy. |
| Limits and Retentions | Confirm in your quote. | The reviewed public product page does not state a separate limit or deductible for Workers’ Compensation; THREE says the quote-specific insurance summary lists limits and deductibles. 10,9Not publicly disclosed. No number is inferred from the sample policy. The quote and issued declarations control the buyer-specific limit and deductible. |
| How to Apply | You request Founder Shield Workers' Compensation 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. | THREE directs small-business prospects to an online quote and says licensed Small Business Advisors can help with the process. 8Company-reported. This is the route for the overall THREE product. It does not show whether Workers’ Compensation will be offered for a particular business or whether a customer can bind that line without an issued policy. |
Full Comparison
More Founder Shield vs THREE by Berkshire Hathaway Comparisons
Other Workers’ Compensation 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Workers' Compensation Insurance. Founder Shield; What Is Workers’ Comp Insurance?; Who Needs Workers’ Comp Insurance Coverage?; What Does Workers’ Comp 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.
THREE by Berkshire Hathaway
- Jargon-free small business insurance - THREE by Berkshire Hathaway. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Lines 23, 39, 70–81 and 406–410: business location quote entry, single-policy description, issuer, business focus, online quote and licensed Small Business Advisor route. Quote entry inspected without submitting a form. Accessed 2026-09-30.
- The Policy: 3 Jargon-free pages - THREE by Berkshire Hathaway. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; State-selectable sample policy: Summary (Declarations) identifies Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company as issuer and says the insurance summary lists limits and deductibles; sample policy text and state selection do not establish terms for a particular quote or issued policy. Accessed 2026-09-30.
- Business Owners Policy - THREE by Berkshire Hathaway. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Product page: “No need for multiple policies” and one comprehensive policy; Business Liability, Property and Business Auto categories and the listed line names. Product page footer identifies Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE. Accessed 2026-09-30.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance Guide
- Workers’ Compensation Insurance. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Opening definition; mandatory coverage except Texas opt-in; exclusive remedy; monopolistic state funds; self-insurance note. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Small Business Insurance. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Typically covers medical expenses, rehabilitation costs and lost wages; check with your state insurance department; ask these questions / who qualifies as a covered employee (contractors, part-time staff, interns); payroll and type-of-work rating factors. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- DWC employer information. California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Workers’ Compensation; Opening trade-off and California requirement; basic benefits including medical care, temporary and permanent disability, supplemental job displacement, return-to-work supplement and death benefits; out-of-state employer note. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Employer resources. Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation; In Texas, private employers can choose to carry workers’ compensation insurance coverage, but it is not required in most cases; lost wages and medical benefits; except when gross negligence results in a fatality, coverage limits liability. Accessed 2026-09-16.
