Workers’ 
Compensation is one of those murky areas for nanny employers. Not every state requires household employers to carry Workers’ Compensation insurance although in my A to Z Nanny Contract, I emphasize that every employer, whether they are legally required to or not, should carry it and I include a section for it in the contract.
Workers’ Compensation provides compensation to an employee who suffers a job-related injury. Generally a nanny with a work-related injury can get workers’ compensation benefits regardless of who was at fault — the nanny, the parent, another staff member, or some other third party. In exchange for these guaranteed benefits, the nanny gives up the right to sue the employer in court for damages for those injuries.
Having Workers’ Compensation benefits both the nanny and the family. The nanny is guaranteed benefits if hurt on the job without having to find the money, time and energy to sue her employer. And the family avoids being sued.
However finding a Workers’ Compensation policy for household employers isn’t the easiest task. (Like most things, it’s harder for the nanny employer than the business employer to navigate the legal issues of hiring.) Breedlove and Associates, one of my favorite nanny tax companies, has partnered with PMC Insurance Group to offer HomeStaffPROTECT, the first workers’ compensation insurance product created to meet the unique needs of families with nannies. (Check out their blog post about the launch.)
So if you need Workers’ Compensation coverage, and I’m here to tell you that you do, give them a call at 888-273-3356. They have amazing customer service and will painlessly guide you through the set-up process.
Nanny care expert specializing in helping parents and nannies effectively navigate the hiring / job search process and develop long-term, successful employment relationships. Creator of the A to Z Nanny Contract and National Nanny Training Day.. Also a communications trainer, Positive Discipline Parent Educator and Mediator.
