Harper vs Travelers Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Harper places workers' compensation coverage as a broker, pricing it off a client's actual payroll and job categories rather than underwriting the policy itself. ³Company-reported. Workers compensation page introduction and 'Why Harper' section.

Travelers underwrites workers compensation insurance directly as a standalone line, separate from a business owner's policy, and says it also provides risk control and claim services alongside the policy rather than selling coverage alone. ⁷Company-reported. Workers-compensation product page, as read on 2026-09-23.

The reviewed workers' compensation page does not name the insurer or insurers that would issue a given policy. ³Not publicly disclosed. Checked the workers compensation page on 2026-09-23; no carrier is named for this line.

A video transcript on the workers-compensation page is copyrighted to The Travelers Indemnity Company, which is consistent with that entity issuing workers compensation policies, though the page does not state that every workers-comp policy is issued by that entity rather than an affiliate. ⁷Company-reported. Video transcript credit on the workers-compensation page; not a policy-level disclosure of the issuing entity for a specific quote.

Harper says coverage is legally required in most states from a business's first employee, and that it will confirm the exact requirement for a given state and headcount. ³Company-reported. Workers compensation page introduction and FAQ 'When am I required to carry it?'.

Travelers says nearly every state requires most businesses to carry workers compensation insurance, but that in monopolistic states employers must buy coverage from a state-run fund, or may self-insure using a third-party administrator, so Travelers workers compensation is not purchasable there through Travelers itself. ⁷Company-reported. Workers-compensation FAQ answer, 'Who needs workers compensation insurance?'; the page does not list which states are monopolistic.

Travelers markets workers compensation to both large, multi-state employers and small businesses, and says it maintains state-specific requirement information because coverage terms and required forms vary by jurisdiction. ⁷Company-reported. Large-business and small-business sections and the 'Workers compensation laws vary by state' section.

Harper describes the coverage as paying medical costs and lost wages for employees injured on the job, funding rehabilitation, and including employer's liability for related lawsuits that fall outside the workers' comp system. ³Company-reported. Workers compensation page's four coverage tiles; the issued policy and state comp statute control actual scope.

Travelers says the policy covers employees' medical expenses and lost wages for job-related injuries and diseases, includes employers liability coverage for related lawsuits not covered by workers-comp law, and that employers in monopolistic states may add employers liability separately as stop-gap coverage. ⁷Company-reported. Product overview and 'What does workers comp cover?' FAQ; full inclusions and exclusions depend on the policy as issued and the applicable state.

Harper names payroll, job categories and claims history as what sets the price, and notes that states regulate the rate math, but the reviewed page does not publish specific rates, limits or deductible figures. ³Not publicly disclosed. Workers compensation FAQ 'What does it cost?'; figures depend on state rating rules and an actual quote.

Not described in the reviewed sources.

Harper says it classifies a client's payroll into the correct job/class codes before binding, since insurers price workers' comp by class code and a wrong classification is a common cause of a large bill at audit. ³Company-reported. Workers compensation page 'We know this' section and FAQ 'What will the audit look like?'; a described placement practice, not an independently verified outcome.

Travelers reports internal outcome and cost-containment statistics for its workers-comp claim and risk-control programs, including 70% of injured employees returning to work within 30 days, a 40% decline in opioid use it attributes to its Early Severity Predictor tool, and access to a network of 2.3 million medical providers. ⁷Company-reported. Workers-compensation page statistics, sourced to Travelers internal data; these are company-reported outcomes, not independently verified.

You request a quote through Harper's online form or by phone; Harper says the application is shopped to the insurers that write the business's job classes. ³Company-reported. Workers compensation page quote form and 'Why Harper' process steps.

Travelers directs buyers to contact a local Travelers agent to find a workers compensation policy, and separately notes pricing depends on business location, type of work, total payroll and claims history rather than a fixed rate. ⁷Company-reported. Workers-compensation FAQ answers 'How can I buy workers compensation insurance?' and 'What determines the cost of a workers compensation policy?'