---
title: "Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs Relm Insurance Employment Practices Liability Insurance"
description: "Relm offers EPL and wage-and-hour through brokers; Heffernan places EPL for home-care and family offices with 2016 sublimit commentary."
canonical: "https://spot.insure/compare/heffernan-vs-relm/employment-practices"
page-type: "line-comparison"
updated-at: "2026-09-24"
---

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# 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.

## Research Scope and Use

Use this comparison to evaluate Heffernan Insurance Brokers and Relm Insurance for Employment Practices Liability Insurance against the same documented criteria. It identifies differences and questions to confirm; it does not select a winner for a particular business. Offering claims are what each provider publishes about this line unless marked otherwise. “Not found” describes the evidence reviewed, not proof that a feature is unavailable. Confirm the insurer, policy wording, limits, retentions, exclusions and cost in an actual quote.

## Summary

Relm markets EPL and wage-and-hour liability for brokers to place, framing wage-and-hour as class-action exposure for large employers. Heffernan shops EPL for general business, home-care and family offices, and a 2016 article from its staff cites wage-and-hour sublimits then commonly at $100,000. [10](https://relminsurance.com/lines-of-business/financial-lines-insurance/ "Financial Lines Insurance") [3](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/ "Heffernan Business Insurance Brokerage") [7](https://www.heffins.com/employment-practices-liability-101-what-you-need-know/ "Employment Practices Liability 101: What You Need to Know")

## 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](https://www.heffins.com/about-us/our-story/ "Our Story") [2](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/technology/ "Technology Company Insurance") [3](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/ "Heffernan Business Insurance Brokerage")

[Heffernan Insurance Brokers profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/heffernan)

## 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](https://relminsurance.com/relm-launches-us-mga/ "Relm Launches US MGA") [9](https://relminsurance.com/relm-insurance-launches-ai-suite/ "Relm Launches AI Liability Solutions")

[Relm Insurance profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/relm)

## What Is Employment Practices Liability Insurance?

Employment practices liability insurance addresses claims alleging workplace wrongdoing, such as discrimination, harassment and wrongful termination. [11](https://www.iii.org/article/employment-practices-liability-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance")

## 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](https://relminsurance.com/lines-of-business/financial-lines-insurance/ "Financial Lines Insurance") [3](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/ "Heffernan Business Insurance Brokerage")

### 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](https://relminsurance.com/lines-of-business/financial-lines-insurance/ "Financial Lines Insurance") [7](https://www.heffins.com/employment-practices-liability-101-what-you-need-know/ "Employment Practices Liability 101: What You Need to Know")

## 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](https://www.heffins.com/employment-practices-liability-101-what-you-need-know/ "Employment Practices Liability 101: What You Need to Know") [10](https://relminsurance.com/lines-of-business/financial-lines-insurance/ "Financial Lines Insurance")
- Confirm Relm's issuing insurer and whether large-employer class actions are in appetite. [10](https://relminsurance.com/lines-of-business/financial-lines-insurance/ "Financial Lines Insurance")
- 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](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/health-care/homecare/ "Home Care Business Insurance") [10](https://relminsurance.com/lines-of-business/financial-lines-insurance/ "Financial Lines Insurance")
- Get hammer-clause and immigration wording on the actual form. [7](https://www.heffins.com/employment-practices-liability-101-what-you-need-know/ "Employment Practices Liability 101: What You Need to Know")

## Offering Details

| 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. [3](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/ "Heffernan Business Insurance Brokerage") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: 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. [10](https://relminsurance.com/lines-of-business/financial-lines-insurance/ "Financial Lines Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: 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. [3](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/ "Heffernan Business Insurance Brokerage") (Evidence: Not publicly disclosed; scope: 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. [10](https://relminsurance.com/lines-of-business/financial-lines-insurance/ "Financial Lines Insurance") (Evidence: Not publicly disclosed; scope: 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](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/ "Heffernan Business Insurance Brokerage") [4](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/health-care/homecare/ "Home Care Business Insurance") [5](https://www.heffins.com/family-office/ "Family Office") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: 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. [10](https://relminsurance.com/lines-of-business/financial-lines-insurance/ "Financial Lines Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: 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. [7](https://www.heffins.com/employment-practices-liability-101-what-you-need-know/ "Employment Practices Liability 101: What You Need to Know") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: 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. [10](https://relminsurance.com/lines-of-business/financial-lines-insurance/ "Financial Lines Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Financial Lines page general description; the issued policy and declarations control..)<br><br>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. [10](https://relminsurance.com/lines-of-business/financial-lines-insurance/ "Financial Lines Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: 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. [7](https://www.heffins.com/employment-practices-liability-101-what-you-need-know/ "Employment Practices Liability 101: What You Need to Know") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: 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. [3](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/ "Heffernan Business Insurance Brokerage") (Evidence: Not found in reviewed sources; scope: 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. [10](https://relminsurance.com/lines-of-business/financial-lines-insurance/ "Financial Lines Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: 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. [6](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/claims-advocacy/ "Claims Advocacy") (Evidence: Not found in reviewed sources; scope: 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

- [Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs Relm Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/heffernan-vs-relm): all coverage lines, business roles, service and claims.
- [What Is Employment Practices Liability Insurance?](https://spot.insure/coverage/employment-practices): Employment practices liability insurance can help defend your business against covered claims of discrimination, harassment and wrongful termination.
- [Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs Relm Insurance Commercial Property Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/heffernan-vs-relm/commercial-property)
- [Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs Relm Insurance Crime Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/heffernan-vs-relm/crime)
- [Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs Relm Insurance Cyber Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/heffernan-vs-relm/cyber)
- [Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs Relm Insurance Fiduciary Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/heffernan-vs-relm/fiduciary)
- [Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs Relm Insurance General Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/heffernan-vs-relm/general-liability)
- [Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs Relm Insurance Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/heffernan-vs-relm/professional-errors-omissions)
- [Alliance Risk vs Heffernan Insurance Brokers Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-heffernan/employment-practices)
- [Alliance Risk vs Relm Insurance Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-relm/employment-practices)
- [Amelia Risk vs Heffernan Insurance Brokers Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-heffernan/employment-practices)
- [Amelia Risk vs Relm Insurance Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-relm/employment-practices)
- [Beazley vs Heffernan Insurance Brokers Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-heffernan/employment-practices)
- [Beazley vs Relm Insurance Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-relm/employment-practices)

## Sources

### Heffernan Insurance Brokers

1. [Our Story](https://www.heffins.com/about-us/our-story/). Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Headquartered in Walnut Creek; nationwide presence; founded 1988; employee owned; niche practices including technology. Accessed 2026-09-16.
2. [Technology Company Insurance](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/technology/). 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.
3. [Heffernan Business Insurance Brokerage](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/). 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.
4. [Home Care Business Insurance](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/health-care/homecare/). 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.
5. [Family Office](https://www.heffins.com/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.
6. [Claims Advocacy](https://www.heffins.com/business-insurance/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.
7. [Employment Practices Liability 101: What You Need to Know](https://www.heffins.com/employment-practices-liability-101-what-you-need-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

8. [Relm Launches US MGA](https://relminsurance.com/relm-launches-us-mga/). Relm Insurance; Opening paragraphs describing US MGA and distribution partners. Accessed 2026-09-16.
9. [Relm Launches AI Liability Solutions](https://relminsurance.com/relm-insurance-launches-ai-suite/). Relm Insurance; NOVAAI, PONTAAI and RESCAAI: Applicable Users and Coverage Highlights. Accessed 2026-09-16.
10. [Financial Lines Insurance](https://relminsurance.com/lines-of-business/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

11. [Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://www.iii.org/article/employment-practices-liability-insurance). Insurance Information Institute; Opening; What EPLI covers; Steps to limit employment liability risk. Accessed 2026-09-16.

Updated 2026-09-24. 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.

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