am I right in thinking that Federation Members actually get a 'subsidised' insurance policy or is just one they've 'negotiated' for the members?
I'm still with Darwin Clayton, who used to be the Fed's preferred insurer. Willis, the new flavour of the month, don't do Employer's Liability - in spite of the Fed saying that they were changing to give us a better deal, after all the trumpet blowing the PR Dept fell down badly on that one. I just assumed, after hunting around, that we must have been getting a Group Policy deal because it was better than anything I could find elsewhere. I also assumed, rightly or wrongly, that a proportion of the premiums would end up back at the Fed as a commission. That's the way of the world, and didn't bother me in the slightest.
Does this particular insurance company actually take into account what proportion of work is ladder work as opposed to WFP? Does it actually distinguish between the two on the proposal form and is this reflected in the premium?
On the proposal form, they ask for the wage ratios between six classifications under "Window and High Level Cleaning":- Reach+Wash or similar system at ground level; All other GL window cleaning (Ex use of ladders) ground level jump-ups or extension pole work and shopfronts I presume; Above GL up to 10m; Abseiling, rope access & use of cradles; All other window cleaning above 10m; Other - Specify.
Originally they had come back to me at renewal to say that, based on last year's information, they could no longer insure me with the same company, but they would send me out another proposal form and they would hunt around. In the mean time, prices I'd received from other companies were getting really scarey, and I'd already decided to cut back on harness work at 10m and above, because the premiums were going to be more than the value of the work at that height! I'd filled in %'s for the first three sections, and because my ladderwork up to 10m was less than 50% of the business, (VERY important, I can't stress enough how this affected my proposal for insurance!) I could continue to be insured by last year's insurers.
Would 2 sole-traders end up paying the same premuim regardless of their type of work and / or training, for example.
Based on the type of work - probably differing premiums going by my experience. Training wasn't mentioned, but going by recent comments I'm sure that'll come in soon.
I recall that this was the first time I had to send copies of H&S policy, Method Statements, etc to show I knew what I was doing.
Hope this helps.