Como proprietário de uma empresa, sentindo -se protegido pela sua seguradora está bem na sua lista de coisas que ajudam você a dormir à noite, mas recentemente esse privilégio está se tornando mais difícil de obter. Além disso, nem todas as práticas tinham seguro abrangente, com 57 % de aceitação de exclusões, particularmente relacionadas à segurança contra incêndio. Com inúmeras seguradoras saindo do mercado por completo, muitas práticas estão lutando para pagar ou até obter a proteção apropriada, com o impacto subsequente em sua capacidade de ganhar projetos. Ligeiramente)? A idéia é estabelecer um fundo de seguro mútuo para fornecer PII mais barato às práticas, com os membros que se reúnem para garantir mutuamente um ao outro. Também haveria uma equipe de advogados internos, que poderiam aconselhar os membros gratuitamente quando as reivindicações forem feitas contra eles. Boas notícias para as práticas menores em particular, com Goldschmied apontando as desvantagens no mercado atual:
Over the past 18 months PII premiums have soared in the architecture sector, with one major survey showing practices being quoted new premium prices that are, on average, three times higher than the cost of a previous policy renewal. Further to that, not all practices had comprehensive insurance, with 57 per cent accepting exclusions, particularly relating to fire safety. With numerous insurers leaving the market altogether many practices are struggling to afford or even obtain the appropriate protection, with the subsequent impact on their ability to win projects.
Contractors are becoming more aware that their supply chain’s lack of cover increases their own risk, and as a result are more selective than ever (and rightly so), but what are business owners to do when premiums are so high and full exclusions are the only way to reduce them (albeit slightly)?
Answers are being sought by RIBA, led by ex-RIBA president Marco Goldschmied. The idea is to set up a mutual insurance fund to provide cheaper PII to practices, with members clubbing together to mutually insure one another. There would also be a team of in-house lawyers, who could advise members free of charge when claims are made against them.
RIBA chair Jack Pringle confirmed the institute had spoken to Goldschmied, saying: “We are considering what further actions we can take to provide support to our members. These could include operating a mutual fund, developing our existing brokerage arrangements and expanding our existing legal support.”
This is great news for the smaller practices in particular, with Goldschmied pointing out the disadvantages in the current market:
"O argumento para a maioria das práticas menores do Reino Unido se unir para se proteger é cada vez mais forte", disse ele. “Big established practices who can afford the high bar of in-house lawyers and the back-up compliance staff may be generally well catered for by Wren. But as we know, our professional landscape is dominated by practices with less than 50 staff. It’s time for the UK’s small practices to get together to form a new mutual not-for-profit insurance company – one that’s specifically directed at PII for their needs in a transparent, open and equitable estrutura. ”
Como prática com uma equipe de 12 (e tendo vivido e respirado esse problema por dois anos), apoiamos totalmente essa idéia e esperamos que Riba fique por trás disso, para o bem de todo o setor.
This blog first appeared on http: //studiorba.co.uk/blog/2021/4/1/thursday-thoughts-with-studio-rba-pii-hikes-yikes-from-architect-director-adam-morgan || 380
