The joys of working from home are innumerable – from rolling out of bed at the very last minute (pyjama bottoms for Zoom calls, anyone?) to finally managing to keep on top of those little household chores in your breaks from work – if there’s one thing the global pandemic has given us, it’s the gift of flexibility.
So, as we sit here, laptops in front of us, desk pushed at an angle in the only empty corner of the lounge, we could be forgiven for feeling rather smug about not having to face the dreaded morning commute. But could this new-found convenience void your home insurance? Does your insurance cover you for working from home? Here’s what to look out for.
Policies have varying levels of cover; if your job is admin-based and you use no specialist equipment, you may find that you are covered and don’t need to make any changes to your level of cover, but always verify this with your insurer first. Do you carry stock in your home? If so, you will need to read through your policy documents to ascertain if these items are covered alongside your personal belongings. If you have employees or business visitors come to your home office, you will need to check with your insurer that your insurance covers them.
A point to note is that if you are usually an office-based worker and are working from home solely due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Association of British Insurers is reassuring people that in most cases, your insurance will not be affected, and you do not need to contact your insurer to update your policy. However, if this turns into a longer-term arrangement, or your provider is not registered with the ABI, you will need to contact your insurance provider to ensure your policy has the correct cover going forward.
Get in touch with us if you have any questions about insurance, or would like us to provide a quote:
0208 850 5531
insure@gmi-insurance.co.uk
