Return to Blog PageArticle by Emily Morgan - Membership Program Manager - Associated Skin Care Professionals (ASCP)
We live in a very litigious society in which anyone can sue anyone for anything, even if it was an accident. Many professionals may say, “My client would never sue me. They have been coming to me for years, and we’re friends”, assuming that if anything did go wrong, the client would be understanding and patient. But if your client has racked up $20,000 plus in medical bills because of something that happened in your treatment room or behind your chair, do you think they are still going to be understanding and pay for that themselves? Maybe not.
Liability insurance policies should cover professionals for Professional Liability, General Liability, and for Product Liability. Professional Liability is insurance that provides protections against a client claiming that you caused an injury, such as waxing and chemical burns. General Liability is insurance that provides protection against claims of bodily injury or property damage, such as collapsing tables or chairs and slip and falls. Product Liability is insurance that provides protection if a client has a reaction to a product you used on them or a retail product you sold. Stylists and skin care professionals should have coverage for all three types to insure they are completely protected.
It is also important that beauty professionals opt for individual coverage plans, versus shared coverage insurance plans. Also known as individual aggregate policies, individual coverage means that each professional receives a coverage limit that is per member per year. Some other policies have a shared aggregate, meaning you share the coverage limit with all the other policy holders. If other policy holders use up the coverage before you have a claim, you may be left without any coverage at all.
And just because a you may be working for an employer or franchise, professionals should never assume that they are always covered by their employer! There are far too many unfortunate stories from stylists and estheticians who relied on their employer’s policy, and found out too late that, while the employer was covered, the individual practitioner was not. Employer policies also tend to only cover their employees while they are on the premises. The moment you step outside their door, you are no longer covered.
Trade associations such as Associated Hair Professionals’ (AHP) and Associated Skin Care Professionals’ (ASCP) are all-inclusive sources for education and community among hair stylist and skin care professionals, but their most sought-after benefit is their comprehensive liability insurance coverage. AHP and ASCP both provide occurrence-based policies, with individual coverage of up to $2 million per incident and up to $6 million per year. The coverage includes all three types of liability insurance that hair and skin care professionals need, and because this is individual coverage, you will be covered wherever you work, no matter how many settings (including off-site, as long as it is within your scope of practice).
Like what you're reading? Check out our partner Associated Hair Professionals / Associated Skin Care Professionals and all they can offer you below!
AHP and ASCP are here for you. You are the priority. Everything they do is designed to support you and your successful career. Learn more about AHP and ASCP at their websites here:
www.associatedhairprofessionals.com
Article by Emily Morgan - Membership Program Manager - Associated Skin Care Professionals (ASCP)