Markel Insurance vs 
THREE by Berkshire Hathaway: How Do They Compare for Workers’ Compensation Insurance?
THREE lists workers’ compensation within its combined Business Owners Policy and directs small businesses to an online quote. Markel describes an offer with class and state eligibility determined by review. <OfferingCite provider="three" id="three-bop-product" /> <OfferingCite provider="three" id="three-home-quote" /> <OfferingCite provider="markel" id="markel-official-product" /> 3,6
Markel Insurance: Specialty Business and Products
Markel Insurance is Markel Group's specialty and small-business insurance business, with offerings across packages, workers' compensation, cyber, professional and management liability, property, marine, and surety. Products use different insurers and distribution routes, so compare the issuer and terms shown on the specific quote. 1,2
Read the Markel Insurance profile
Read the Markel Insurance 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. 4,5
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. 7,8,9,10
Key Differences in Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Standalone or Package
THREE presents workers’ compensation as part of a combined Business Owners Policy rather than a separate standalone policy on its reviewed product page. Markel describes workers’ compensation as an offer for small-business classes without stating a BOP package requirement. Ask whether the coverage can be purchased separately and how it appears on the quote. 6 3
Insurer and Policy Terms
THREE’s linked sample policy declarations name Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company as issuer, but that sample does not establish the issuer for every quote. Markel’s overview does not identify an issuer. Confirm the actual carrier, state form, and whether workers’ compensation is included in the proposed package. 5 3
Quote Access
THREE directs small-business prospects to an online quote and says licensed Small Business Advisors can help. Markel invites customers or brokers to contact its underwriting team. Ask what payroll and class details are needed and when the policy can take effect. 4 3
What to Confirm in Workers’ Compensation Insurance Quotes
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.
Markel Insurance
Review Score
2 rated sources
There is little public customer feedback on Markel. Trustpilot shows 2.5 out of 5 from just 5 reviews, and BBB lists 12 complaints closed in the last three years.[4][3]
Read Markel Insurance 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
Markel Insurance vs THREE by Berkshire Hathaway: Workers’ Compensation Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Markel workers compensation (official overview) | THREE Business Owners Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Markel describes offering workers compensation for the audience stated on the cited product page. 3Company-reported. workers compensation marketed by markel; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. | 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. 6Company-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 | Confirm in your quote. | The linked sample policy's declarations identify Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company as issuer. 5Company-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 | Small-business classes addressed by Markel's workers-compensation page; exact business eligibility and state availability are not universal. 3Company-reported. workers compensation marketed by markel; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. | 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. 6,4Not publicly disclosed. Eligibility and state availability remain unestablished for an individual risk until THREE returns its quote and applicable forms. |
| Coverage Features | The cited product page describes workers' compensation insurance for workplace injury and illness exposures, subject to the applicable policy and state requirements. Marketing description only; actual coverage, exclusions, conditions, limits, and availability depend on the issued policy and jurisdiction. 3Company-reported. workers compensation marketed by markel; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. | 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. 6,5Company-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 | The cited overview does not set a universal limit or retention for this line. Ask for the proposed policy form, limits, retentions, exclusions, and conditions in the quote. 3Not publicly disclosed. Only the cited marketing page was reviewed for published limit and retention information; no policy-form entitlement is inferred. | 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. 6,5Not 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 | The page invites prospective customers or brokers to contact Markel or the named underwriting team. The page does not establish a quote, bind, or coverage-effective timeline. 3Company-reported. workers compensation marketed by markel; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement. | THREE directs small-business prospects to an online quote and says licensed Small Business Advisors can help with the process. 4Company-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 Markel Insurance vs THREE by Berkshire Hathaway Comparisons
Other Workers’ Compensation Insurance Comparisons
Sources
Markel Insurance
- About us. Markel; Markel at a glance; description of Markel Insurance within Markel Group Inc. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Markel Group Inc. 2025 Form 10-K. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; filed by Markel Group Inc.; Cover page; Part I, Item 1 Business—Markel Insurance, U.S. Wholesale and Specialty, Programs and Solutions; Part II, Item 7/8 for group and segment risks. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Workers Compensation Insurance. Markel; Workers compensation product overview; coverage and services sections. Accessed 2026-09-30.
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.
