Oct. 26, 2009 (PR Newswire) -- RENO, Nev., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- While the trend among consumers is to buy insurance via direct channels like the Internet, more than two-thirds (69 percent) of small business owners who have workers' compensation insurance say they want to purchase this type of insurance in the future through an agent, according to the Small Business Opinion Poll conducted by Opinion Research Corporation. Commissioned by EMPLOYERS®, America's small business insurance specialist®, the Small Business Poll surveyed 500 small business decision makers across the country.

"The Small Business Poll data reinforces the important role insurance agents play in helping small businesses take a strategic approach to workers' compensation, which can be a complicated and cumbersome process to manage," said Martin Welch, president and COO, EMPLOYERS. "Similar to business taxes, workers' compensation is required by law for nearly all companies, yet many don't approach it with the same attention they do their taxes. Much like CPAs, knowledgeable insurance agents are trusted advisors who provide much more than just a competitive price. They provide smart counsel and services to protect a business and lower costs."

The Small Business Poll also revealed that nearly half of small businesses with worker's comp (45 percent) are currently simplifying the process of buying and managing their workers' compensation insurance by bundling with complementary coverage and services like general liability, business insurance, health insurance or payroll. EMPLOYERS provides bundled programs with strategic partners like Automatic Data Processing (ADP) and Anthem Blue Cross of California. ADP offers a Pay-by-Pay® premium payment program for workers' compensation in partnership with EMPLOYERS, which is an integrated payroll and workers' compensation service. Anthem Blue Cross of California offers Integrated MediComp(SM) in partnership with EMPLOYERS, combining workers' compensation and healthcare coverage policies.