Relm Insurance vs The Hartford: How Do They Compare for Employment Practices Liability Insurance?

Relm Insurance sells EPL through brokers to companies of any size, including wage-and-hour exposure; The Hartford builds EPLI into its Business Owner's Policy for most classes, but not in California, Minnesota, North Dakota or New York.

The Hartford bundles EPLI into its Business Owner's Policy for most small businesses, with wage-and-hour defense costs only and no built-in cover in four states. Relm, reached through your broker, offers wage-and-hour liability cover for underpayment, overtime and misclassification suits, including class actions. ^2,¹

What Are the Key Differences Between Relm Insurance and The Hartford Employment Practices Liability Insurance?

Defense Costs Only vs Real Wage-and-Hour Cover

The Hartford's BOP EPLI automatically includes wage-and-hour defense costs, which pays lawyers but not settlements. Relm offers wage-and-hour liability cover for underpayment, overtime mistakes and misclassification, in individual and class actions, aimed at large employers. Choose The Hartford if you're a small business that wants EPLI bundled with your BOP; choose Relm, through your broker, if you have hourly staff at scale and a wage-and-hour class action is a real risk. ¹ ²

Bundled Product With State Gaps vs a Broker-Only Market

The Hartford writes EPLI inside its BOP for most classes, in Private Choice Premier, and as standalone Employers Premier Choice. It has no built-in EPL in California, Minnesota, North Dakota or New York, and its Spectrum option lists a $25,000 limit. It adds FMLA, age discrimination and third-party EPLI for most businesses. Relm sells only through brokers, lists harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination, breach of contract and emotional distress, and publishes no state limits or dollar limits. ² ¹

What Should You Confirm in Relm Insurance and The Hartford Employment Practices Liability Insurance Quotes?

Ask each what it pays on a wage-and-hour claim: defense only, or settlements too. ¹ ²
If you're in California, Minnesota, North Dakota or New York, ask The Hartford what it can offer. ² ¹
Check whether a $25,000 Hartford Spectrum limit is enough against Relm's quoted limit. ² ¹
Ask your broker which insurer issues the Relm policy. ¹ ²

Relm Insurance vs The Hartford Employment Practices Liability Compared

Relm Insurance vs The Hartford: Employment Practices Liability Insurance: documented features by provider

Criteria	Relm Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPL/W&H)	The Hartford Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI)
Who It’s For	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. ¹Company-reported. Financial Lines page framing; not a guarantee of eligibility for a particular company.	The Hartford's footnotes say there is no built-in EPL coverage in California, Minnesota, North Dakota or New York, and that the EPL program described on the page does not apply to EPL coverage written in California. Coverage and limits also vary by state and business class. ²Company-reported. EPLI product page footnotes as read 2026-09-23 (page last updated by The Hartford November 26, 2025).
Coverage Features	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. ¹Company-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. ¹Company-reported. Financial Lines page 'What Is Wage and Hour Liability Insurance?' section.	The Hartford says its EPLI covers claims of discrimination (including age), retaliation, FMLA violations, wrongful discipline or termination, failure to promote, and harassment, and that third-party EPLI (claims from customers, vendors or business invitees, not just employees) is included for most businesses. Its BOP also automatically includes Wage and Hour Defense Cost coverage as part of the built-in EPLI. ²Company-reported. EPLI product page as read 2026-09-23. General coverage description; the issued policy controls.
Role in This Line	Relm markets employment practices liability, including wage and hour liability, as a coverage brokers can place for clients through Relm's adaptable coverage solutions. ¹Company-reported. Relm line-of-business page (Relm sells through brokers); not a statement identifying the issuing insurer for a given placement.	The Hartford's EPLI is built into its Business Owner's Policy for most classes, is included in its Private Choice Premier package policy, and is also sold stand-alone as Employers Premier Choice. ²Company-reported. EPLI product page as read 2026-09-23.

Criteria

Relm Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPL/W&H)

The Hartford Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI)

Who It’s For

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. ¹Company-reported. Financial Lines page framing; not a guarantee of eligibility for a particular company.

The Hartford's footnotes say there is no built-in EPL coverage in California, Minnesota, North Dakota or New York, and that the EPL program described on the page does not apply to EPL coverage written in California. Coverage and limits also vary by state and business class. ²Company-reported. EPLI product page footnotes as read 2026-09-23 (page last updated by The Hartford November 26, 2025).

Coverage Features

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. ¹Company-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. ¹Company-reported. Financial Lines page 'What Is Wage and Hour Liability Insurance?' section.

The Hartford says its EPLI covers claims of discrimination (including age), retaliation, FMLA violations, wrongful discipline or termination, failure to promote, and harassment, and that third-party EPLI (claims from customers, vendors or business invitees, not just employees) is included for most businesses. Its BOP also automatically includes Wage and Hour Defense Cost coverage as part of the built-in EPLI. ²Company-reported. EPLI product page as read 2026-09-23. General coverage description; the issued policy controls.

Role in This Line

Relm markets employment practices liability, including wage and hour liability, as a coverage brokers can place for clients through Relm's adaptable coverage solutions. ¹Company-reported. Relm line-of-business page (Relm sells through brokers); not a statement identifying the issuing insurer for a given placement.

The Hartford's EPLI is built into its Business Owner's Policy for most classes, is included in its Private Choice Premier package policy, and is also sold stand-alone as Employers Premier Choice. ²Company-reported. EPLI product page as read 2026-09-23.