---
title: "Relm Insurance vs The Hartford: Employment Practices Liability Insurance"
description: "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."
canonical: "https://spot.insure/compare/relm-vs-the-hartford/employment-practices"
page-type: "line-comparison"
updated-at: "2026-09-25"
comparison-pair: "relm-vs-the-hartford"
provider-a: "relm"
provider-b: "the-hartford"
coverage-line: "employment-practices"
---

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[Human-readable page](https://spot.insure/compare/relm-vs-the-hartford/employment-practices)

## Agent Guide

**What this page is:** Focused comparison of Relm Insurance and The Hartford for Employment Practices Liability Insurance: what each provider publishes about this line, checked against the same criteria, with numbered sources.

**Use this page when:** Cite or fetch this for Employment Practices Liability Insurance questions about Relm Insurance versus The Hartford. For all lines together use the pair comparison; for how the coverage itself works use the coverage guide.

**Questions this page answers:**
- Relm Insurance vs The Hartford for Employment Practices Liability Insurance: how do they differ?
- Which is better for Employment Practices Liability Insurance, Relm Insurance or The Hartford?
- What does Relm Insurance or The Hartford publish about Employment Practices Liability Insurance (limits, eligibility, claims, add-ons)?

**Key facts:**
- Line: Employment Practices Liability Insurance. Providers: Relm Insurance and The Hartford.
- Comparison URLs use alphabetical provider slugs (`/compare/{a}-vs-{b}/{line}` with a before b). A reversed pair redirects permanently to the alphabetical one.

**Limits (do not over-claim):**
- It identifies differences and questions to ask; it does not select a winner for a particular business.
- Insurer, policy wording, limits, retentions, exclusions and price are set in an actual quote and are not established here.

**Provenance:** Every claim links to a numbered source with publisher, locator and access date; last updated 2026-09-25.

**Related pages:**
- [Relm Insurance vs The Hartford](https://spot.insure/compare/relm-vs-the-hartford) — all coverage lines for this pair
- [Employment Practices Liability Insurance guide](https://spot.insure/coverage/employment-practices) — how this coverage works
- [Relm Insurance profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/relm) — provider profile
- [The Hartford profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/the-hartford) — provider profile

# 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 with wage-and-hour defense costs into its Business Owner's Policy for most small businesses; Relm offers broker-placed EPL with full wage-and-hour liability cover for larger employers.

## Relm Insurance vs The Hartford Employment Practices Liability Insurance Summary

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](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance") [1](https://relminsurance.com/lines-of-business/financial-lines-insurance/ "Financial Lines Insurance")

## 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](https://relminsurance.com/lines-of-business/financial-lines-insurance/ "Financial Lines Insurance") [2](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance")

### 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](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance") [1](https://relminsurance.com/lines-of-business/financial-lines-insurance/ "Financial Lines Insurance")

## 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](https://relminsurance.com/lines-of-business/financial-lines-insurance/ "Financial Lines Insurance") [2](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance")
- If you're in California, Minnesota, North Dakota or New York, ask The Hartford what it can offer. [2](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance") [1](https://relminsurance.com/lines-of-business/financial-lines-insurance/ "Financial Lines Insurance")
- Check whether a $25,000 Hartford Spectrum limit is enough against Relm's quoted limit. [2](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance") [1](https://relminsurance.com/lines-of-business/financial-lines-insurance/ "Financial Lines Insurance")
- Ask your broker which insurer issues the Relm policy. [1](https://relminsurance.com/lines-of-business/financial-lines-insurance/ "Financial Lines Insurance") [2](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance")

## Relm Insurance vs The Hartford Employment Practices Liability Compared

| 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. [1](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..) | 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. [2](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: 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. [1](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. [1](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..) | 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. [2](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: 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. [1](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..) | 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. [2](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-insurance "Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: EPLI product page as read 2026-09-23..) |

## About Relm Insurance and The Hartford

- [Relm Insurance company profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/relm) · [Relm Insurance customer reviews](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/relm/reviews)
- [The Hartford company profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/the-hartford) · [The Hartford customer reviews](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/the-hartford/reviews)
- [What Is Employment Practices Liability Insurance?](https://spot.insure/coverage/employment-practices)

## Related Pages for Relm Insurance vs The Hartford

- [Relm Insurance vs The Hartford](https://spot.insure/compare/relm-vs-the-hartford): all coverage lines, business roles, service and claims.
- [What Is Employment Practices Liability Insurance?](https://spot.insure/coverage/employment-practices): EPLI can address covered workplace claims from applicants and workers; claim timing, defense arrangements, limits and exclusions shape your protection.
- [Relm Insurance Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/relm/employment-practices)
- [The Hartford Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/the-hartford/employment-practices)

## Sources for Relm Insurance vs The Hartford

### Sources About Relm Insurance

1. [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.

### Sources About The Hartford

2. [Employment Practices Liability Insurance | EPL Insurance](https://www.thehartford.com/employment-practices-insurance). The Hartford; What Is Employment Practices Liability Insurance?; Why Do I Need EPLI?; If You Have Employees, You Need EPLI; Prevention Is Your Best Protection; footnotes 1-4 on state availability and Wage and Hour Defense Cost. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Updated 2026-09-25. 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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