Workman’s Compensation insurance in the cleaning industry is critical. Not only does it provide medical care should an employee become injured, but it also prevents the employer from being sued.
Unlike desk jockey jobs (also known as office work), physical labor increases the likelihood of workplace injuries, particularly if the labor is at night and outside. While we don’t allow our cleaners to climb up ladders higher than one to two steps, we’ve been on sites where electrical cords are snaking around, production builds are being constructed with carpentry and paint fumes, and the outdoor terrain has rocks and potholes. Events can be obstacle courses for injuries, even on the best-run productions with the most well-intentioned producers.
Because workman’s compensation covers hospitalizations, physician visits, tests and medications, as well as lost wages, the money the cleaning company pays for insurance is well worth saving the money to cover the costs of all of the foregoing. As event producers, obtaining a COI from your cleaning company covering workman’s compensation is essential because if the company does not have insurance and cannot afford to cover these costs, then any injured employee can legally come after you.
To that end, it’s critical your cleaning company carries general and umbrella liability insurance as well. If the cleaning company uses the wrong chemicals on wood floors, for instance, that strips the finish or creates scratches, or power washes a building wall with too much heat and pressure and crumbles part of the brick away, or the cleaners do anything to damage the venue, then you are just as liable for damages as the company unless you get a COI. If the cleaning company has a COI, then their insurance will cover the damages, and your production entity is protected.
One reason why some cleaning companies fail to procure insurance is because this is a business with narrow margins and insurance is expensive. If a company has really low rates, but does not have a COI, then one of the reasons why their rates are low is because they don’t have insurance. While this might save your budget in the short term, it does mean that you are taking a risk. In most instances, that risk may pay off, as it’s rare that serious issues happen. But if a serious issue or damage does occur, that discounted rate will seem paltry compared to the financial consequences.
PopUP CleanUP carries general, umbrella, workman’s compensation, and automobile insurance. We are licensed, bonded, and fully insured.
