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Management liability insurance

Protect your business – and your team – against management and operational risks with management liability cover.

What is management liability insurance?

Management liability insurance provides cover for a range of risks faced by directors, officers and other company managers. It typically provides protection for claims related to wrongful acts, such as allegations of breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, or other errors or omissions in the performance of managerial duties. Management liability coverage can also help protect you from claims related to employment practices, such as discrimination or harassment.
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A packaged policy

This package is designed for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) – with multiple covers to help protect your business entity and managers against various claims.

Directors and officers (D&O)

This policy covers the cost incurred in defending your directors and managers against allegations of wrongful acts. It can also help protect their personal wealth and assets.

Employment practices

This policy helps protect your business from allegations of wrongful employment practices – like claims of wrongful dismissal, discrimination, or harassment by present, past or prospective employees.

Crime

This policy is designed to help protect your business against loss of property or revenue due to dishonest activities by employees or third parties – such as fraud and theft.

Statutory liability

This policy helps protect your business – and the people who run it – against fines and financial penalties for unintentionally breaching laws or industry rules and regulations.

Official investigations

This insurance provides coverage for any defence costs incurred from formal investigations by regulatory/government/professional bodies.

Company liability

Also known as corporate legal liability, this helps protect your business entity from claims of wrongdoings. It also covers PR costs to restore or prevent damage to your business’s reputation in a crisis.

Typical exclusions

Policy inclusions and coverage limits will vary between different insurers and policies. Here are some examples of typical exclusions.

Fraud or dishonesty

This policy does not cover losses that are directly or indirectly caused by wilful breach of duty or fraudulent and dishonest acts committed by insured directors and officers.

Pending claims/litigation

This policy does not provide coverage for any costs arising from claims and proceedings that existed or were pending since before the inception date of this policy.

Asbestos liabilities

The management liability policy does not cover any claim or loss arising directly or indirectly from, in connection with, or in respect of asbestos and any other asbestos-related liabilities.

Fire or premises damage

This policy does not include coverage for claims and losses arising directly or indirectly from – or in connection with – any fire damage and other damage or destruction to any premises or buildings.

Pollution

Any claims against directors or officers that arise out of alleged or actual release of pollutants or are attributable to pollution. Some defence costs can be covered.

War and terrorism

This policy does not cover claims for losses due to war, acts of terrorism, civil war, riots, public commotion and violence for political, religious or other purposes.

Key product highlights

Versatile across industries

Management liability insurance is designed to help protect SMEs across most industries – including construction and hospitality.

Designed for SMEs

Management liability insurance is designed for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) with a turnover of under $150 million.

Covers multiple areas

As a package that includes multiple covers, management liability insurance can play a critical role in your business’s risk management strategy.

Protects your business

Management liability cover helps protect your business and managers against unintended mismanagement or mistakes – and other operational risks.

Tailored to your needs

Besides D&O, all other coverages are optional – allowing you to tailor your management liability package to your needs.

Easy and cost-effective

With management liability, you may not need to get other stand-alone policies individually – potentially making it simple, convenient, and cost-effective.

Why use a broker?

Choosing business insurance means navigating through products, coverages and policy terminology – with a sales pitch as your only guide. An experienced broker will spot your unique set of risks, match you to the right choice, and advocate for you on price.

Why Marsh?

Why should you choose Marsh to arrange your insurance solutions?

Trusted by 130 associations

We are proud to be the endorsed insurance broker for more than 130 industry groups and member associations nationwide, developing insurance solutions that help meet the risk and insurance needs of businesses across a variety of industries.

Local expertise

Our nationwide network of brokers have spent years at the coalface supporting business owners manage their unique risks in a fast-changing market. They keep ahead of the latest market insights both local and global and break down the jargon into your language.

Claims support

Handling an insurance claim can quickly become overwhelming, not least when your time is stretched to the limit keeping your business going in the backdrop. We help take the load off and manage, negotiate and settle claims with insurers on your behalf.

Your trusted broker

Our team of professional insurance brokers and risk advisors are dedicated to helping SMEs. We identify and arrange suitable management liability insurance cover – and provide advice and recommendations to help strengthen your risk management.

Experts on your side

We are always on the lookout for the best value for your business. Our insurance brokers across the country utilise their local industry experience and insights to negotiate competitive premiums and coverage, so you get the best deal possible.

Personalised service

Every business is unique. That’s why, as part of our service offering, we pair you with an insurance broker whose experience complements the risk profile of your business. So you can work with someone who knows what you need – and provides tailored advice and options.

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Frequently asked questions

Management liability insurance can allow your most senior managers to confidently back the decisions they make for your business. Whether they’ve provided the incorrect advice, made an error or omission, or committed a breach of duty or wrongful act, this type of liability cover is essential to consider to protect your business, but also the individual executives themselves and, importantly, your clients.

No. Public liability helps protect a business from the costs incurred from third-party injury and property damage claims.

Even if you’re not at fault, the legal costs to defend yourself or your business can be significant – and even put your personal assets at stake if you’re not insured.

Public liability insurance is compulsory for certain types of businesses.

No, while there may be some overlap between the two types of insurance, they are generally distinct and cover different types of risks.

Management liability insurance and professional indemnity insurance are not the same thing. While both types of insurance are designed to help protect businesses from financial loss resulting from lawsuits, they cover different types of risks.

Management liability coverage also typically provides protection for acts committed by a company's directors, officers, and other key personnel. Whereas, professional indemnity insurance, is designed to protect businesses from claims related to errors and omissions in the services they provide – which can be provided by any business employee.

Management liability insurance provides cover for private companies, while association liability is designed for not-for-profit and charitable associations.

An association liability policy may also include professional indemnity, but a management liability policy does not.

Management liability comes with a ‘condensed’ version of the directors and officers liability (D&O) policy that is designed for SMEs. A management liability policy also includes other covers, including corporate legal liability and employment practices liability, making it simpler and more cost-effective to protect your business from various risks.

The standalone liability insurance for directors and officers is designed for larger organisations and has much broader cover. But it does not come with any other insurance covers – only D&O.

No, while there may be some overlap between the two types of insurance, they are generally distinct and cover different types of risks.

Management liability insurance and errors and omissions (E&O) insurance are not the same thing. While both types of insurance are designed to protect businesses from financial loss resulting from lawsuits, they cover different types of risks.

Management liability coverage also typically provides protection for acts committed by a company's directors, officers, and other key personnel. Whereas, E&O insurance, is designed to protect businesses from claims related to errors and omissions in the services they provide – which can be provided by any business employee.

The cost of your management liability insurance will depend on several factors, including your business size, revenue and risk exposures.

When requesting a quote, be sure to fill in the form values as accurately as possible. This helps us arrange the right premium and cover for your business. Along with the completed proposal form, a copy of your latest audited/reviewed financial report will be required.

For a clearer picture, you can also request a call back to speak to a Marsh advisor.

Inclusions and coverage limits may vary between different insurers and policies.

Typical exclusions may include:

  • Fraud or dishonesty 

  • Pending or prior claims and litigation 

  • Intentional and deliberate acts

  • Bodily injury and property damage

  • Asbestos-related liabilities.

To find out more about the exclusions, deductibles, excesses and limits that may apply to your specific policy, please speak to your Marsh advisor.

Management liability insurance is designed for SMEs with a turnover of under $150 million.

If your business falls under that category, it qualifies for management liability.

The only mandatory component in the management liability insurance is the D&O policy.

All the other policies – corporate legal, employment practices, crime, and statutory liability – are optional, so you can tailor your management liability package to your needs.

Even when your business has ceased trading or is being acquired, it continues to be liable for up to six years (in line with the statute of limitations).

A run-off period refers to a policy provision that protects the insured for a certain period of time, even after they’ve closed the business.

LCPA 23/476

This is a general overview of the policy. Please call us and ask for a copy of the insurer’s policy wording. We recommend you read the policy wording so you have an understanding of the policy terms, conditions and exclusions before you decide whether this policy suits your needs.

Marsh Advantage Insurance Pty Ltd (ABN 31 081 358 303, AFSL 238369) (“Marsh”) arranges the general insurance (i.e. not the Discretionary Trust Arrangement) and is not the insurer. This page contains general information and does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. For full details of the terms, conditions and limitations of the covers, refer to the specific policy wordings and/or Product Disclosure Statements available from Marsh on request. Marsh makes no representation or warranty concerning the application of policy wordings or the financial condition or solvency of insurers or re-insurers. Marsh makes no assurances regarding the availability, cost, or terms of insurance coverage. Any statements concerning actuarial, tax, accounting, or legal matters are based solely on our experience as insurance brokers and risk consultants and are not to be relied upon as actuarial, accounting, tax, or legal advice, for which you should consult your own professional advisors. The Discretionary Trust Arrangement is issued by the Trustee, JLT Group Services Pty Ltd (ABN 26 004 485 214, AFSL 417964) (“JGS”). Any advice or dealing in relation to the Discretionary Trust Arrangement is provided by JLT Risk Solutions Pty Ltd (ABN 69 009 098 864, AFSL 226 827) (“JLT”). JGS and JLT are businesses of Marsh McLennan. The cover provided by the Discretionary Trust Arrangement is subject to the Trustee’s discretion and/or the relevant policy terms, conditions and exclusions.