The trades, hospitality and retail industries are the leading sources of insurance claims over the Christmas and new year period, analysis by BizCover shows.  

A report details the “holiday hazards” leading to small business claims each December and January, which bring a shift in trading patterns as “customers surge or disappear overnight and teams juggle end-of-year fatigue with summer weather intensity”.

A six-year analysis of small business insurance claims across 19 industries reveals “clear seasonal risk patterns”, the SME cover insurtech says.

January 15 is the most common incident date, followed by Christmas day.

Trades accounts for 42% of claims as homeowners rush to get building projects completed before family get-togethers. Hospitality makes up 19% and retail 10%. The services industry is next on 7%, followed by health services on 5%.

The top incident types are third-party property damage (24%), forced entry theft (11%), and equipment and tech failures (10%).  

BizCover head of marketing Sharon Kenny says holiday risk is tied to a busy trading period, with fast turnarounds, overworked tools and vacant premises.

“Longer daylight hours and compressed end-of-year timelines can mean more jobs packed into fewer weeks, which naturally lifts exposure to accidents and mishaps. Risks don’t disappear just because a business is closed down for a time – closures can create a different kind of exposure,” she said.

“After a shutdown period is a natural point where incidents can spike.”

The report says Monday is the most common day for incidents in December and January. 

See the report here.

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