Ten Years of Willis and NECAGuard Insurance

This year is the 10th anniversary of the partnership between NECA and Willis. In 2016, NECA sort a new broker partner with a simple goal: to build an insurance program designed for electrical contractors. That program became NECAGuard.

When NECA and Willis first sat down in 2016, the aim wasn't to sell another off-the-shelf insurance product.  There are an extensive range of insurance products that are available to electrical contractors both directly from insurers and brokers.   Many of these products don’t cater for the specialised, high-risk work and ever evolving work your industry faces

NECA wanted a program that understood the trade, covered the work members actually do and gave members a real advantage for belonging to the association. 

Over the past decade, NECA branches have progressively endorsed the program, and NECA and Willis have expanded the product range together. Today Willis is the endorsed broker in NSW, ACT, Tasmania, Victoria, WA and Queensland.

The core of the NECAGuard program is NECAGuard Combined Liability. This product is available only to NECA Members. Many members have actually joined NECA so they can access this product. We have also made this product available to other brokers as they can’t find a product if this quality elsewhere in the market

One issue we identified quickly is that the insurance industry actually uses a very narrow definition of what an Electrician is and they don’t recognise Electrical Contracting as a professional trade.

We have worked closing Gard Insurance in expanding and improving this product.  Our thanks go to the GARD team for backing NECA members and for helping make NECAGuard what it is today.

Two of the key parts of this product is the huge range of activities and the inclusion of Professional Indemnity and Management Liability.

The cover is members-only for a good reason. The insurer, GARD, found that NECA members were better-managed risks. Fewer claims mean better premiums for everyone in the program, which is a direct reward for being part of NECA. 

The policy also bundles in Professional Indemnity for design, advice, testing and tagging, certifying and reports. It adds Management Liability for director wrongful acts, unfair dismissal, bullying and harassment, and employee theft. 

Insurance proves its value at claim time. Since 2016, NECAGuard's Tools of Trade cover alone has paid more than $400,000 in claims, averaging $7,500 per claim. For an electrical contractor whose van is broken into overnight, that money is the difference between losing a week of work and getting back on the tools. 

NECAGuard Personal Accident and Sickness cover replaces income after an accident or a newly diagnosed illness. It also includes a lump sum benefit of up to $250,000, with no medical assessment required.

Behind every policy is a dedicated NECAGuard team at Willis. When members call, they speak with brokers who understand electrical contracting. As a broker, Willis is required to recommend cover that suits each member's needs, which members don't get when they buy direct from an insurer. When a claim runs into trouble, Willis escalates it.

Members also have an extra line of defence: if something ever goes wrong, they can contact NECA directly. 

The anniversary is a milestone, not a finish line. Several things are coming:

NECAGuard Digital

• a quote-and-bind platform, 
• branded NECAGuard that offers multiple covers in one product
• Members will also be able to sign up for NECA membership on the platform. Targeted to smaller businesses that are used to buying insurance online with added NECAGuard enhancements
• Faster, streamlined renewals

To the NECA branches, staff and, most importantly, the hundreds of members who insure their businesses through NECAGuard: thank you. Your trust over the past decade has shaped a program built by the industry, for the industry. 

Here's to the next ten years of keeping NECA members protected, so you can keep doing what you do best.

To find out how NECAGuard can protect your business, contact the NECAGuard team at Willis or speak to your local NECA Member Services Team.