What the changes say
- Cyber incidents now explicitly include state-sponsored attacks, operational outages, data loss, regulatory exposure, and reputational damage.
- Competition risk emphasizes multi-line insurers’ ability to underprice Employers’ workers’ compensation coverage.
- New reinsurance language highlights market fluctuations affecting LPT collateral value.
- The filing removes discussion of recent interest-rate stabilization and improved equity markets reducing unrealized losses.
What changed since the prior 10-K
New
- NewOperational and Strategic Risks
resources also permit an insurer to gain market share through more competitive pricing, even if that pricing results in reduced underwriting margins or an underwriting loss
Multi-line insurers may underprice workers’ compensation coverage, especially during soft markets, because Employers sells only one insurance line.
- NewOperational and Strategic Risks
trust. The value of this collateral is subject to market fluctuations
Market fluctuations could reduce the value of collateral supporting the LPT Agreement and weaken protection against reinsurer credit problems.
- NewRegulatory and Legal Risks
related incidents. Certain efforts may be state-sponsored or supported by significant financial and technological resources, making them even more difficult to detect, remediate, and otherwise handle
Cyberattacks, outages, and data incidents—including state-sponsored efforts—could disrupt operations, expose data, trigger regulatory action, and damage reputation.
Dropped
- DroppedRegulatory and Legal Risks
In 2023 and 2024, despite volatility, market interest rates largely stabilized, and equity markets performed well versus those of 2022. These factors served to meaningfully reduce, but did not eliminate, the unrealized losses that we experienced in 2022
Reworded
- 68% rewrittenRegulatory and Legal Risks
We may be unable to realize our investment objectives, and economic conditions in the financial markets could lead to investment losses
The investment oversight body changed from the Audit Committee to the AFI Committee; the underlying investment risks are unchanged.
- 62% rewrittenRegulatory and Legal Risks
We rely on our information technology and telecommunication systems, including those of third parties that we outsource certain business functions to, and the disruption or failure of these systems, cyber-attacks on these systems, or security breaches or incidents could materially and adversely affect our business
The heading now expressly highlights cyberattacks and security breaches; the body changes “policies we write” to “policies we underwrite.”
- 57% rewrittenOperational and Strategic Risks
Intense competition and the fact that we underwrite only a single line of insurance could adversely affect our ability to sell policies at rates that we deem adequate
The current text hyphenates “lower-priced” products; the competitive and single-line underwriting risk is unchanged.
Was: Intense competition and the fact that we write only a single line of insurance could adversely affect our ability to sell policies at rates that we deem adequate
- 33% rewrittenFinancial Risks
Acts of terrorism, natural or man-made catastrophes or other disruptive events, including social unrest, can also affect our business due to resulting temporary or permanent closures of our insured’s businesses, even if there are no claims arising from such event
The wording changes from conflicts’ “impacts” to “effects”; the risk to investment values is unchanged.
- 33% rewrittenOperational and Strategic Risks
If we fail to price our insurance policies sufficiently, our business competitiveness, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially adversely affected
No substantive change is shown in the provided risk text.
- 21% rewrittenOperational and Strategic Risks
We obtained reinsurance covering the losses incurred prior to July 1, 1995, and we could be liable for some or all of those losses if the coverage provided by the LPT Agreement proves inadequate or we fail to collect from the reinsurers to that agreement
No substantive change is shown in the provided risk text.
- 21% rewrittenFinancial Risks
We focus on small and mid-sized businesses, and those businesses may be severely and disproportionately impacted by a downturn in economic conditions or changes in applicable regulations or regulatory enforcement, taxes, or labor conditions
The example changes from tariffs proposed in the first quarter of 2025 to broader changes in global tariff policies.
Was: We focus on small and mid-sized businesses, and those businesses may be severely and disproportionately impacted by a downturn in economic conditions or changes in applicable regulations, taxes, or labor conditions
All 28 risk factors
Headings as the filing states them, in filing order.
Operational and Strategic Risks
- 01If we fail to price our insurance policies sufficiently, our business competitiveness, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially adversely affected33% rewritten
- 02Intense competition and the fact that we underwrite only a single line of insurance could adversely affect our ability to sell policies at rates that we deem adequate57% rewritten
- 03resources also permit an insurer to gain market share through more competitive pricing, even if that pricing results in reduced underwriting margins or an underwriting lossNew
- 04Our concentration in California ties our performance to the business, economic, demographic, natural perils, competitive, legislative and regulatory conditions in that state
- 05We rely on traditional insurance agents, specialty agents, brokers, and other distribution partners
- 06We rely on statistical data models and analytics that leverage internal and external data
- 07At December 31, 2025, we had $391.6 million of reinsurance recoverable for paid and unpaid losses and LAE, of which $5.9 million was due to us on paid claims
- 08We obtained reinsurance covering the losses incurred prior to July 1, 1995, and we could be liable for some or all of those losses if the coverage provided by the LPT Agreement proves inadequate or we fail to collect from the reinsurers to that agreement21% rewritten
- 09trust. The value of this collateral is subject to market fluctuationsNew
Financial Risks
- 10We focus on small and mid-sized businesses, and those businesses may be severely and disproportionately impacted by a downturn in economic conditions or changes in applicable regulations or regulatory enforcement, taxes, or labor conditions21% rewritten
- 11A downgrade in our financial strength rating could reduce the amount of business that we are able to underwrite or result in the termination of certain of our agreements with our strategic partners
- 12Our liability for losses and LAE is based on estimates and may be inadequate to cover our actual losses and expenses
- 13We are a holding company with no direct operations. We depend on the ability of our subsidiaries to transfer funds to us to meet our obligations and capital management objectives, and our insurance subsidiaries' ability to pay dividends to us is restricted by law
- 14Acts of terrorism and natural, or man-made catastrophes or other disruptive events could materially adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations
- 15Acts of terrorism, natural or man-made catastrophes or other disruptive events, including social unrest, can also affect our business due to resulting temporary or permanent closures of our insured’s businesses, even if there are no claims arising from such event33% rewritten
Regulatory and Legal Risks
- 16The insurance business is subject to extensive regulation and legislative changes, which impact the manner in which we operate our business
- 17More generally, insurance regulators have broad regulatory powers designed to protect policyholders and claimants, and not stockholders or other investors
- 18Legislation and regulation impact our ability to investigate fraud and other abuses of the workers' compensation system in the states in which we do business. Our relationships with medical providers are also impacted by legislation and regulation, including penalties for failure to make timely payments
- 19Administrative proceedings, legal actions, or judicial decisions involving our insurance subsidiaries could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations
- 20Assessments and other surcharges for guaranty funds, second injury funds, and other mandatory pooling arrangements may reduce our profitability
- 21State insurance laws, certain provisions of our charter documents, and Nevada corporation law could prevent or delay a change in control that could be beneficial to us and our stockholders
- 22We may be unable to realize our investment objectives, and economic conditions in the financial markets could lead to investment losses68% rewritten
- 23We may require additional capital in the future, which may not be available to us or may be available only on unfavorable terms
- 24Our business is largely dependent on the efforts of our executives and other key employees because of their industry and technical expertise, knowledge of our markets, and relationships with the insurance agents, brokers, and other distribution partners that sell our products
- 25We rely on our information technology and telecommunication systems, including those of third parties that we outsource certain business functions to, and the disruption or failure of these systems, cyber-attacks on these systems, or security breaches or incidents could materially and adversely affect our business62% rewritten
- 26related incidents. Certain efforts may be state-sponsored or supported by significant financial and technological resources, making them even more difficult to detect, remediate, and otherwise handleNew
- 27A failure to effectively maintain, enhance and modernize our information technology systems, effectively develop and deploy innovative technologies, and execute new business initiatives, including those involving artificial intelligence, could adversely affect our business
- 28We are subject to laws and regulations governing privacy and information security that could adversely affect our business or subject us to liability
Other Employers Holdings 10-Ks
- FY2024 10-K risk factors26 risks
Employers Holdings relies heavily on California workers compensation insurance, generating 45 percent of its in-force premiums there.
Filed Feb 28, 2025
About this page
The headings are the filing's own. The one-line readings and the overview are automated and can be wrong: read Item 1A of the 10-K for the exact wording.