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The Hanover Adds Employment Practices Liability to BOP

October 23, 2006

-Endorsement to Help Agent Partners Grow Their Businesses-

WORCESTER, Mass., Oct. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE: THG), a leading super regional property and casualty company, is now including Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) coverage as an endorsement to every eligible new and renewal Avenues(TM) Business Owners Policy (BOP).

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051031/NEM023LOGO )

The Hanover has included EPLI in its Avenues BOP to help protect small businesses against the growing number of employee allegations of sexual harassment, job discrimination, and wrongful termination. The EPLI coverage is designed to help businesses with 25 employees or less, who traditionally can't afford to purchase a stand-alone EPLI policy.

The addition of EPLI reflects The Hanover's commitment to the small commercial marketplace and providing agent partners with innovative, market-driven products that can help them grow their businesses.

    The EPLI coverage highlights include:
    * Protection for the entity, owner and partners
    * Coverage for sexual harassment, job discrimination, and wrongful
      termination claims made by full-time, part-time, seasonal and temporary
      employees
    * Coverage on a claims-made basis (does not cover prior acts, known acts
      or criminal acts)
    * Defense within the limits of liability on a duty to defend basis
    * The ability for small businesses to choose between the standard EPLI
      limit of $25,000, or opt for a larger limit of $100,000 or $250,000
      (state specific guidelines for limits and deductibles apply)

"Even if a small business takes precautionary steps to protect itself, it is nearly impossible to eliminate the possibility of employee-related lawsuits," said David Firstenberg, president, commercial lines at The Hanover. "We are including EPLI in our Avenues BOP to help our agent partners offer an affordable way to protect their clients against such suits."

Customers will have an option to waive EPLI coverage when purchasing or renewing an Avenues BOP.

Avenues BOP is part of The Hanover's small commercial platform, which allows agents to easily quote and, in many instances, issue BOP, commercial auto, umbrella, and workers' compensation policies, and complete endorsements online.

To further meet the needs of the company's independent agent partners and their policyholders, The Hanover offers value-added services including experienced EPLI claims specialists and a loss prevention program.

About The Hanover

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE: THG), based in Worcester, Mass., is the holding company for a group of insurers that includes The Hanover Insurance Company, also based in Worcester; Citizens Insurance Company of America, headquartered in Howell, Mich., and their affiliates. The Hanover offers a wide range of property and casualty products and services to individuals, families and businesses through an extensive network of independent agents, and has been meeting its obligations to its agent partners and their customers for more than 150 years. Taken as a group, The Hanover ranks among the top 35 property and casualty insurers in the United States.

    CONTACTS:
    Investor Relations                  Media Relations
    Sujata Mutalik                      Amy Lynn Baneksmutalik@hanover.comabanek@hanover.com
    (508) 855-3457                      (508) 855-4486

SOURCE The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc.

Contact: Sujata Mutalik, Investor Relations, +1-508-855-3457, smutalik@hanover.com, or Amy Lynn Banek, Media Relations, +1-508-855-4486, abanek@hanover.com, both of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc.