What once may have been a busy office with kitchens, coffee machines, and water cooler office chat, is now a smaller, simpler place that some employees may visit when they want to work quietly. With this shift in workspace usage, you may easily be lulled into thinking that you no longer need business insurance on physical property. After all, if nobody’s in the office, how much can really go wrong? The truth is—plenty. Whether you still own or lease a workspace, have equipment traveling around with remote workers, or both, you still face unique risks that could lead to unexpected costs.
Below, we explore why insuring your physical assets remains a crucial step in protecting your business—even if your office feels more like a storage closet these days.
Liability Doesn’t Go Away Just Because Your Office Is Empty
Even if everyone’s working remotely—you’re on the hook for liability. A locked-up office could still experience everything from burst pipes to slip-and-fall incidents for occasional visitors. And while you may have drastically cut back on desks and computers, a single unexpected event can lead to significant out-of-pocket costs if you’re not insured properly.
It’s important to maintain adequate liability coverage. You may be able to reduce certain property coverage if there’s less equipment on site but don’t leave yourself open to liability gaps.
Your “Stuff” Is Mobile Now
Workers taking laptops, tablets, and other equipment home means your business property is no longer housed in one central location. Who’s responsible if an employee’s company-owned laptop is stolen from their car? If you’ve contracted out work to a freelancer using your gear, are you covering that or are they?
These are valuable questions that will clarify who owns what and how it’s protected. A business property policy that includes off-site coverage, along with cyber liability insurance, can help safeguard both the physical assets and the data they contain. Contractors and freelancers should have their own insurance and should submit a certificate of insurance for your records.
Rethink the Value of Your Property
One perk of a remote or hybrid setup is that you may not need (or want) as much heavy-duty, high-value office equipment. Maybe you’ve retired the big copier or multiple phone lines in favor of a single cloud-based solution. This shift affects how much property coverage your business needs—and how much it costs. On the flip side, if you’ve invested in more robust home-office setups for your team, you may need to redirect coverage or verify that equipment is protected. However your business technologies have changed, so it may be necessary to consider your property values (and corresponding coverage limits) and make the appropriate adjustments to your policy.
Don’t Forget Cyber Liability
Fewer items in the office can sometimes mean more exposure online—especially if your staff relies heavily on Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or other cloud-based software. From lost files to data breaches, a cyber incident can cripple a small business. Cyber liability insurance is designed to cover expenses related to hacking, ransomware, and other electronic risks that a traditional general liability policy simply won’t handle. Even if your physical space is smaller, your digital footprint could be bigger than ever.
Final Thoughts
Business insurance is essential protection for the unpredictable nature of modern work. Even if your office sits half-empty (or fully empty) because your team is scattered across the country, the potential liabilities and property exposures remain. Your laptops, data servers, or even the leftover furniture in that mostly unused building all have value and, in some cases, considerable risk associated with them.
Staying informed is key. Adapt your coverage to your new reality and stay in close communication with an insurance professional who truly understands the evolving nature of remote and hybrid work.
We are here to answer your questions and complete a complimentary review of your current coverage. We can help you figure out exactly what protections you need—and what you don’t—so that you’re covered where it counts.
