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Freelance Fantasies:
1.
Insurance
Do you insure your
own equipment? Have you ever gone into a war-zone or high-risk area with
insufficient insurance? Some of you do and some of you don’t. Some
freelance agencies build insurance costs into their production budgets.
However, this can be risky and you can get caught out in unpredictable
situations. Should freelancers take the risk and responsibility? Should
broadcasters contribute more? We’d like to open up the debate on
this. To begin with, here is a proposal for the dream insurance package.
Remember — this
is a fantasy.
- The broadcaster
should cover personnel insurance for the period that the freelancer
is on assignment for them, plus any additional cover necessitated by
the particular circumstances of the assignment (ie. where there’s
political/war risk).
- In the event of
the freelancer having a Personal Policy, the broadcaster should pay
a contribution to this for the period of time of the assignment.
- Freelancers/agencies
ought to have their own basic insurance cover for their equipment, but
the broadcaster should be asked to cover equipment insurance whilst
the freelancer is on assignment for them.
- Some broadcasters
have a policy in place to cover hired-in equipment (i.e. freelancers’
equipment). The freelancer/agency is sometimes asked to send in a list
of equipment, so that where necessary, the broadcaster can arrange suitable
cover according to the value of the equipment.
- On some assignments,
expensive "war or political risk" insurance may be needed,
which the broadcaster ought to cover.
- If the freelancer/agency
agrees to cover insurance for his/her equipment, the broadcaster could
still be asked to pay any excess in the event of a claim, and the full
replacement and repair cost for any equipment lost or damaged valued
below the excess.
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Issue 1
December 1998
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