UK employers are behind their Swedish counterparts in taking out insurance to cover home computing initiative (HCI) schemes. Only 40% of British employers take out specific insurance cover, compared with 90% of Swedish firms.
Aon's Affinity division has consulted with HCI providers and employers in the development of a new product. The insurance cost is included in the HCI provider's package price and is spread over the term of the contract. Employers will be able to recoup outstanding debts upfront if employees cannot make the monthly repayments or the computing equipment is accidentally damaged.
Paul Jones, Business Manager for Aon Affinity, said: "Sweden is years ahead in embracing HCI and employers have high expectations when it comes to efficiency of service from their computer and insurance providers. When we decided to launch Aon Sweden's insurance product in the UK we knew that price was also key to break into a new market so we're looking to combine these two factors.
"Relying on employees to have home insurance could be dangerous as 30% of individuals in the UK do not have such a policy and they would still be subject to excess fees and a potential increase in premium if a claim was made. It also means that claims are handled by a dedicated resource, thus removing the administration burden for employers."
