Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs 
Relm Insurance Employment Practices Liability Insurance
Relm offers EPL and wage-and-hour through brokers; Heffernan places EPL for home-care and family offices with 2016 sublimit commentary.
What Is Heffernan Insurance Brokers?
Heffernan Insurance Brokers is an independent, Walnut Creek–headquartered retail brokerage that arranges business insurance, employee benefits, and related services. Its technology practice markets to mid- and late-stage companies, including venture-funded and pre-IPO firms. 1,2,3
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 Financial Lines Versus Retail Brokerage
Relm markets EPL, including wage-and-hour liability, as coverage other brokers can place; it does not describe a direct online quote. Heffernan is the retail broker that shops EPL with insurers as corporate and executive protection. 10 3
Two Wage-and-Hour Stories
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, aimed especially at large employers facing individual and class actions. 10 7
What to Confirm in Employment Practices Liability Insurance Quotes
- Ask Heffernan whether Relm wage-and-hour capacity is on the submission and what sublimit applies now, not in 2016. 7 10
- Confirm Relm's issuing insurer and whether large-employer class actions are in appetite. 10
- If you are a home-care or family-office employer, ask how Relm's "any company with employees" framing is underwritten for that class. 4 10
- Get hammer-clause and immigration wording on the actual form. 7
Offering Details
Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs Relm Insurance Employment Practices Liability Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Heffernan Employment Practices Liability Insurance | Relm Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPL/W&H) |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Heffernan places employment practices liability (EPL) coverage as part of its corporate and executive-protection lineup within its general business-insurance brokerage. It shops and places the policy with insurers rather than underwriting it. 3Company-reported. Business Insurance Brokerage page listing; no policy form or dedicated EPL product page was found. | 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 | The reviewed pages do not name the insurer or insurers that issue EPL policies Heffernan places. 3Not publicly disclosed. Business Insurance Brokerage page as read on 2026-09-23. | 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 | EPL appears in three separate parts of Heffernan's site: the general business-insurance page, the home-care agency practice, and the family-office/financial-firm practice, indicating it is offered to a range of business types rather than one narrow niche. 3,4,5Company-reported. Direct practice-page listings; the pages do not publish a minimum size or industry restriction for EPL specifically. | 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 | In a 2016 article, Heffernan advisor Tanner Fornesi says EPL policies are modular and recommends buyers specifically request wage-and-hour coverage, a 100% hammer clause (so the insurer, not the policyholder, bears settlement costs above an offer the policyholder declines), and an immigration claim endorsement. 7Company-reported. 2016 educational article about EPL coverage generally, not a current Heffernan product specification; endorsement availability depends on the carrier and current market terms. | 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. |
| Limits and Retentions | The same 2016 article says wage-and-hour EPL sublimits were then commonly $100,000, with some carriers offering $150,000 to $250,000 for additional premium. 7Company-reported. Market commentary in a 2016 article, not a current quote or a limit Heffernan guarantees today. | Not described in the reviewed sources. |
| How to Apply | The reviewed pages describe no EPL-specific application or online quote process; buyers reach the coverage through Heffernan's general business-insurance brokerage contact route. 3Not found in reviewed sources. Business Insurance Brokerage page as read on 2026-09-23. | 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. |
| Claims Support | Heffernan's published claims-advocacy services cover workers' compensation, general liability, auto, and property claims; the page does not list employment-related claims handling as part of that service. 6Not found in reviewed sources. Claims Advocacy page as read on 2026-09-23; does not establish that EPL claims receive no support, only that this page does not describe it. | Not described in the reviewed sources. |
Full Comparison
More Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs Relm Insurance Comparisons
Other Employment Practices Liability Insurance Comparisons
Sources
Heffernan Insurance Brokers
- Our Story. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Headquartered in Walnut Creek; nationwide presence; founded 1988; employee owned; niche practices including technology. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Technology Company Insurance. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Pre-IPO and venture-funded heading; mid to late stage specialization; global expansion copy; self-insurance strategies; Key Markets list; Why Heffernan broker history; Joseph Talmadge practice leader; FAQ. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Heffernan Business Insurance Brokerage. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Corporate and executive protection, such as employment practices liability, directors and officers liability, fiduciary responsibility, cyber liability, and kidnap and ransom are also available through our comprehensive business insurance programs. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Home Care Business Insurance. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; We offer comprehensive coverage for: Workers' Compensation Insurance, General and Professional Liability, Employment Practice Liability, Business/Owned Auto, Non-owned and Hired Auto, and more. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Family Office. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Coverage for Family Offices, Trustees & Financial Firms: Family office liability, D&O, Professional liability, Employment practices liability insurance, Workers' compensation, Employee benefits, Trustee liability, Property and auto, Fiduciary liability, Fidelity/financial institution bond, Cyber, Crime, General liability, Excess liability. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Claims Advocacy. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Services We Offer: Workers' Compensation Claims Expertise; Medical Triage Services; General Liability, Auto & Property Claims Support; Online Risk Management & HR Support; Streamlined Vendor Compliance. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Employment Practices Liability 101: What You Need to Know. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; May 18, 2016 article by Tanner Fornesi, Assistant Vice President, Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Wage and Hour coverage, 100% Hammer Clause, Immigration Claim Endorsement. 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.
