What this insurance is
Voluntary personal accident insurance for employees (NS, from neschastny sluchay — accident) is a contract under which an employer insures the life and health of its staff, and the insurer pays a fixed amount to the insured person or their heirs in the event of injury, disability or death resulting from an accident. Illness can be added, but most policies cover sudden external events.
Compulsory social insurance under 125-FZ
All employees working under an employment contract are covered by compulsory social insurance against industrial accidents and occupational diseases under Federal Law No. 125-FZ. The insurer is the Social Fund of Russia (SFR), and the employer pays contributions at rates that depend on the occupational risk class.
This compulsory social insurance provides sick-pay benefits for workplace accidents, lump-sum and monthly payments for loss of working capacity or death, and payment of additional treatment and rehabilitation costs. But these benefits apply only to workplace accidents and are capped by law.
A voluntary accident policy:
- supplements compulsory benefits — the money is paid independently of them;
- can apply 24/7, including weekends and holidays;
- covers injuries without lengthy disputes over whether they were work-related;
- can extend to people working under civil-law contracts, interns and event participants.
Who needs it
- Companies with hazardous or heavy working conditions: construction, manufacturing, logistics, energy, mining.
- Employers sending staff on business trips, including abroad, and on rotational (shift) work.
- Organisers of sports events and off-site programmes.
- Companies where an accident policy is required by a collective agreement, customer requirements or tender terms under 44-FZ or 223-FZ (Russia's procurement laws).
Risks and payouts
- Accidental death — 100% of the sum insured to the beneficiary.
- Disability of group I, II or III (Russia's disability classification) — a percentage of the sum insured depending on the group.
- Injury — according to a benefit schedule based on the nature of the injury.
- Temporary incapacity — a payment for each day of treatment within a limit.
- Hospitalisation and surgery — by agreement.
The sum insured is set as a fixed amount for everyone, by job group or as a multiple of salary (for example, 12 or 24 monthly salaries). Payout amounts depend on the specific insurer's benefit schedule, which you should read before signing.
Taxes
The Russian Tax Code sets special rules for employers' premiums under personal insurance contracts for employees: for profit tax they are deductible within a per-employee cap and only under contracts covering death or loss of working capacity; for insurance contributions and personal income tax the treatment depends on the contract terms. Confirm the exact procedure with your accountant against the current version of the Tax Code.
What drives the price
- Occupations and working conditions: office staff and installers working at height are rated differently.
- Period of cover: at work only or 24/7.
- Range of risks and sum insured.
- Territory: Russia, business trips abroad, high-risk areas.
- Group size and injury statistics.
How to choose an insurer
- Check the Bank of Russia licence and the injury benefit schedule.
- Clarify exclusions: intoxication, breach of safety rules, high-risk sports, illness.
- Assess how easy it is to file a claim — online or through HR.
- Compare terms in the insurer directory.
How to arrange the contract
The policyholder — the employer — gives the insurer a list of insured persons or states their number and categories (for unnamed contracts). The application describes occupations, working conditions, territory and period of cover. New employees are added during the year by addenda or an agreed procedure; those who leave are removed. Insured persons need to know about the policy and how to report an injury — otherwise benefits go unclaimed.
How to get paid
- Notify the insurer of the accident within the time limit set by the contract.
- Collect documents: an application, medical certificates and records, a workplace accident report (form N-1) or another document describing the circumstances, and for disability a certificate from the medical and social expert commission (MSE).
- In the event of death, the payout goes to the beneficiaries or heirs.
Common mistakes
- Relying on compulsory social insurance alone — its benefits are capped and apply only to workplace injuries.
- Incorrectly stated occupations: if someone actually works at height, a policy written for "office staff" may not respond.
- The list of insured persons is not updated when new staff are hired.
- Employees do not know about the policy and do not report injuries.
Related types: corporate health insurance (DMS), personal accident insurance for individuals, employer's liability. To compare offers, submit a request to Polis Re specialists.
