Sun City, N.C. Instructors Face Mandatory Workers’ Compensation, Liability Insurance

Instructors who teach bowling and tennis, to line dancing and Community Theater in classes in Sun City, a community near Hilton Head, N.C., are facing a Sun City Community Association board of directors’ edict to carry workers’ compensation and liability insurance, even though it is not required by state law.

The Sun City board of directors announced last week that it wants to begin enforcing a provision of the group’s by-laws that require instructors to carry both workers’ compensation and liability insurance. According to the provision instructors, whether Sun City residents or not, would have to pay an average of $1,000 a year in added insurance premiums.

Residents of the active-adult community told the Island Packet they were concerned the extra costs would mean the end of some classes. Instructors are often paid less than $40 a session, so the residents said they could not make a profit on the classes due to the increased overhead.

The Interclub Council represents more than 60 area clubs, and Bob Mahnke, executive director, said some clubs would close. He questioned why the instructors had to do more than state law requires. About 33 paid instructors would be required to purchase the new insurance.