In a word – yes! It’s a good idea to take out makeup artist insurance cover. A career in makeup can be very rewarding and, most of the time, nothing will go astray. However, all jobs have risks and things do not always go according to plan. For example, you may find yourself being sued or having to replace stolen kit. Insurance helps to cover these costs. With that in mind, here’s a guide to insurance cover for makeup artists.
Why Does a Makeup Artist Need Insurance Cover?
Any job has its risks – and working as a self-employed makeup artist is no different.
For example, you may deal with members of the public in their own home. You also use products, carry out treatments and often work in cramped or challenging environments. All these things have an element of risk. And, even with the most careful planning, accidents can still happen.
It is why having makeup artist insurance cover is so important – to protect you from unforeseen events.
A lack of insurance could lead to financial and legal difficulties. For example, being sued could cost you a lot of money. Likewise, replacing a stolen kit is expensive. A personal injury could mean a loss of income.
It is not a legal requirement in the UK to have most types of insurance cover. The only exception is employers’ liability insurance – you must have this if you employ someone. It is legally required and is not voluntary.
Consider having public liability insurance at the very least. Other useful types of cover include equipment cover, loss of earnings, or personal accident. They can easily be added to the main insurance policy (if not already included).
If you live outside of the UK, check the legal requirements for your country because some countries do require professional insurance cover. Also, it can vary from state to state within some countries. Therefore, it is wise to check out the legal situation where you are living.
Ultimately, wherever you live, you should be insured to protect your makeup business, income and reputation.
Types of Insurance Cover for Makeup Artists
There are various types of cover available to the professional makeup artist. Each one protects a different aspect of the business.
The commonly seen insurance options include:
- Public liability
- Professional indemnity
- Equipment cover
- Employers’ liability
- Treatment liability
- Product liability
We’re going to look at each one in more detail.
Public Liability
- This insurance cover is essential when you work as self-employed with the public. For example, you could be working as a mobile makeup artist or doing bridal makeup.
- Public liability protects your business should a customer get injured, fall ill, or their property damaged from using your services. It could be in someone’s home or third-party premises.
- Court fees, complaints and compensation claims can be expensive. Public liability should cover these costs if you get sued. In short, it covers you against the cost of defending a claim.
- Although public liability insurance is not a legal requirement in the UK, it should be the first policy you take out.
Professional Indemnity
- This type of cover protects you against unsatisfied customers. This dissatisfaction could be with your work, products or advice. In a word, a customer can raise a claim against you if they are unhappy with any aspect of your service.
- Professional indemnity insurance covers you for things like legal fees and compensation costs.
Equipment Cover
- It covers your kit and tools against theft, damage or loss.
- You can also get cover for technical devices like phones, cameras and other such items.
- Sadly, theft can occur when working. Your makeup kit is left unattended when you are on set – and things can go missing. Fortunately, it is rare – most people are not stealing your kit. Just be aware that there is the occasional light-fingered idiot. Make sure every item in your kit is marked clearly with your name or a symbol.
- Makeup and hairdressing items can be expensive to replace. Therefore, it is worth including this type of cover with the main insurance policy.
Employers’ Liability
- It is a legal requirement in the UK to have employers’ liability if you employ people to help you with work or a project.
- An employee is classed as anyone who works for you. It includes paid, voluntary, casual, temporary or full-time staff.
- Very simply, when you hire someone, you have a responsibility for their safety. It also means that they can make a claim against you if injured while working for you. For example, an employee could slip on a wet floor, blame you and sue for compensation.
Treatment Liability
- Comprehensive makeup insurance policies usually cover a wide range of cosmetic treatments. It includes makeup application.
- You can also add other treatments as needed.
- However, you have to be qualified or suitably trained to have cover for some treatments.
Product Liability
- This cover is worth considering if you manufacture or sell cosmetic products to customers.
- It protects you against claims made for faulty or unsafe products.
Where to Get Makeup Artist Insurance Cover
Simply Googling “insurance for makeup artists” provides plenty of results. It is because makeup artistry has become a more recognised job in recent years. Therefore, lots of insurance companies now offer a policy tailored to this profession. Some companies also specialise in insurance for the beauty industries.
Once you have a list of suitable insurance policies, it is sensible to compare what level of protection each one offers. It is also essential to read the policy document, as well as all terms and conditions. If there is anything you do not understand, speak to the customer advisors at the insurance firm for clarification.
In short, you must make sure the policy fully meets your requirements and business activities. Without doing this, you might not be covered as you think – and will only find this out when making a claim. It could be an expensive mistake.
- For BECTU members in the UK, you can get public liability and equipment cover as an extra to membership.
How Much Does Insurance Cost?
That is a “piece of string” question! That said, however, it is not expensive to get an insurance policy designed for makeup artists. A quick internet search resulted in policies costing as little as £40 per annum (Google search, Jan 2021).
Of course, any initial quotation can increase in line with the level of cover wanted. Optional extras will also add to the final cost. Even with this in mind, the extra cost is usually not much on top of the main insurance premium. It is also worth remembering that business insurance is a tax-deductible expense.
What If I Work in a Salon or Retail?
If you are employed by a business, like a salon or retail makeup store, you should be covered by their insurance. Likewise, if you are a trainee on a media production and classed as an employee, you might be covered by the production’s insurance. In the first case, ask and find out what exactly is covered.
Basically, any business should have the right insurance policies in place to protect you and the customers. It is the same for any business in any industry – the burden of insurance is on them, not you.
Insurance certificates are usually displayed somewhere in the workplace for everyone to see. But if that is not the case, just ask your employer for details.
You only have to consider insuring yourself if you are classed as self-employed at any point.
What Happens If I Have No Insurance?
There is no legal penalty in the UK if you don’t have public liability insurance. In short, it is up to you.
However, you may regret it if something goes wrong and you get sued. Legal costs can soon mount up. Similarly, the cost of replacing stolen items can add up.
To reiterate, please get yourself makeup artist insurance cover. Protect your income, business and reputation – it is simply part of being a responsible makeup artist.
Find Out More
- BECTU – public liability insurance and equipment cover.
- UK Health & Safety Executive – all about Employers’ Liability.
