Recruitment agencies, also known as human resource (HR) agencies or head hunters, are a crucial part of most business industries. Hong Kong has famous recruiting companies, such as Michael Page and Hays Recruitment, that have helped many business and professional talents.
Clients trust recruitment agencies to find the perfect candidate, and all HR management is handed to the agency. The agency is responsible for creating job descriptions, role promotion, interviews, selection, and post-selection care.
An HR agency is responsible for finding the best candidate and, at the same time, making sure the candidate is comfortable in their new job. Performing HR duties and running a recruitment agency comes with various risks.
HR risks can range from lawsuits to data breaches. These risks can lead to a large amount of financial and reputation loss. For these reasons, recruitment agencies in Hong Kong need insurance to cover possible risks.
Hence the article will discuss the main insurance needed by recruitment agencies in Hong Kong.
Top insurance for Recruitment Agencies
Professional Indemnity Insurance
Recruitment agencies are responsible for various HR duties; the company works with many business clients. Many businesses have begun to use external HR agencies as it saves time, money, and agencies have access to better talent databases. However, HR agency duties have serious liability risks, as clients trust the agency and expect an efficient outcome.
Employment agencies have a responsibility to the client and the candidates, which means both parties can sue the agency if they do not perform as promised. HR negligence can lead to expensive lawsuits and harm the agency’s reputation.
A business client may sue the agency if they provide a candidate for a job and forget to perform a background check. A candidate could have fraud qualifications or a criminal past, and it’s the recruiting agency’s job to check this before even considering the person.
Liability lawsuits could occur due to negligence incidents or wrongful decisions toward a client or candidate. For these reasons, all recruitment agencies need professional indemnity insurance. The insurance will cover all financial costs regarding the liability lawsuit due to business negligence. However, the insurance will not cover any criminal activity and illegal acts.
Cyber Insurance
Recruiting agencies in Hong Kong store a vast amount of data electronically in their HR systems. The data is from clients and candidates and involves personal emails, financial and private information. The clients and talents trust the human resources management team to keep the information safe and confidential.
Unfortunately, the data is always at risk due to cyber criminals and threats. The HR industry is one of the top industries targeted by cybercriminals. Cybercriminals can use HR data breaches (emails) to launch thousands of phishing and business email compromise attacks.
Even with strong cyber security – there is always a chance the software may not detect innovative cyber-attacks. Therefore, recruitment agencies must purchase cyber insurance to deal with cyber threats in these modern times. The insurance will provide financial cover for cyber expert’s advice, threat removing, data recovery, informing third parties and financial loss.
All HR firms recruit online and constantly collect data; hence every agency must be ready for possible cyber-attacks.
Public Liability Insurance
Human resources consultants constantly meet clients or professionals in their offices or external locations. Unfortunately, face-to-face meetings with the public can sometimes lead to injuries or property damage. These accidents could happen on the business premises or outside due the business activity.
Public liability accidents could lead to lawsuits, if the affected party believes it was the business’s fault and will demand legal compensation. These accidents could be anything from a client slipping in the HR office to an employee accidently damaging property during or on the way to a meeting.
Such incidents are unpredictable, and recruitment agencies must purchase public liability insurance to cover third-party risks. The insurance will cover lawsuits due to third-party injuries and property damage because of the business premises or activity. It is required insurance when business operations involve meeting people.
Employee Compensation Insurance
Recruitment agencies comprise consultants; the entire company is an HR department. Like any other business in Hong Kong, the agency is liable for its employee safety. Employers will have to cover any work injuries or illness financially. The cover will have to include medical bills, salary and possible compensation.
These injuries could be falls in the office or accidents on the way to a work meeting. Thankfully these work injuries in an agency are rare but can still happen to any employee at the agency.
In Hong Kong, employers must legally purchase employee compensation insurance to cover their hires. The insurance will cover all the liable costs and fulfil the employer’s duty of care. The insurance can help employers and employees with the policy coverage.
Benefits Of Insurance for Recruitment Agencies in Hong Kong
When a recruitment agency has the proper insurance, it will be covered against most business risks. Having insurance helps HR businesses provide their services without unnecessary stress.
The insurance will help recruitment agencies in Hong Kong deal with possible liability lawsuits, cyber-attacks or work injuries. Each insurance provides financial and reputation benefits so the business can move forward without too much damage.
Additionally, HR freelancers will also need professional indemnity and cyber insurance when providing their services. Insurance is necessary, whether an agency or an individual, as risks can harm any human resources business or professional.
To Learn More about recruitment agency insurance and protect your company and its activities in Hong Kong & Asia, contact Red Asia Insurance.
