STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended															12 Months Ended							12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013 Plan	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2013 Restricted Stock [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Employee Stock Option [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Employee Stock Option [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Employee Stock Option [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Employee Stock Option [Member] Minimum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Employee Stock Option [Member] Minimum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Employee Stock Option [Member] Maximum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Employee Stock Option [Member] Maximum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member]	May 30, 2008 Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Non-Employee Director Stock Option Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Non-Employee Director Stock Option Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Non-Employee Director Stock Option Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Dividend Reinvestment Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Dividend Reinvestment Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Dividend Reinvestment Plan [Member]	Apr. 26, 2013 Employers Mutual Casualty Company Incentive Stock Option 1993 Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Employers Mutual Casualty Company Incentive Stock Option 2003 Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Employers Mutual Casualty Company Incentive Stock Option 2003 Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Employers Mutual Casualty Company Incentive Stock Option 2003 Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Employers Mutual Casualty Company Stock Incentive 2007 Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Employers Mutual Casualty Company Stock Incentive 2007 Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Employers Mutual Casualty Company Stock Incentive 2007 Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of stock option plans	2
Registered shares (in shares)													500,000	500,000	500,000								1,500,000	1,500,000	1,500,000	2,000,000	2,000,000	2,000,000
Deregistered shares (in shares)																						105,120
Time limit for granting awards																							10 years	10 years	10 years	10 years	10 years	10 years
Vesting period				4 years	5 years	5 years	5 years
Recognized compensation expense	$ 289,128	$ 239,784	$ 190,032
Recognized compensation expense, net of tax	189,540	173,894	136,281
Unrecognized compensation cost associated with restricted stock awards, not currently vested				352,934
Unrecognized compensation cost associated with option awards, not currently vested					351,103
Weighted-average period over which the compensation expense is expected to be recognized				3 years 1 month 27 days	1 year 2 months 12 days
Total intrinsic value of options exercised under Employers Mutual's stock option plans					843,685	54,489	54,932
Total fair value of options that vested					247,063	222,180	176,131
Portion of the current tax deduction realized from exercises of stock options					164,715	2,026	11,341
Excess tax benefit associated with affiliate’s stock plans	95,077	(2,221)	6,622		95,077	(2,221)	6,622
Fair market value of the stock on the date of purchase (in hundredths)												85.00%	85.00%	85.00%
Employee stock purchase plan administrative expense												45,106	38,755	39,150
Fair market value to purchase stock under Non-employee director stock option plan (in hundredths)																75.00%	75.00%	75.00%
Minimum cash retainer used to purchase common stock (in hundredths)																25.00%	25.00%	25.00%
Maximum cash retainer used to purchase common stock (in hundredths)																100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Non employee director stock option plan administrative expense																35,877	22,138	48,877
Number of options [Roll Forward]
Outstanding, beginning of year (in shares)					1,588,957	1,437,095	1,251,489
Granted (in shares)					0	263,161	277,180
Exercised (in shares)					(406,532)	(42,619)	(38,631)
Expired (in shares)					(47,219)	(68,680)	(50,918)
Forfeited (in shares)					0	0	(2,025)
Outstanding, end of year (in shares)					1,135,206	1,588,957	1,437,095
Options Exercisable, end of year (in shares)					686,863	894,706	762,888
Weighted-average exercise price [Roll Forward]
Outstanding, beginning of year (in dollars per share)					$ 21.89	$ 21.92	$ 21.25
Granted (in dollars per share)					$ 0.00	$ 20.98	$ 24.40
Exercised (in dollars per share)					$ 21.26	$ 17.97	$ 18.67
Expired (in dollars per share)					$ 20.35	$ 21.51	$ 21.51
Forfeited (in dollars per share)					$ 0.00	$ 0.00	$ 19.13
Outstanding, end of year (in dollars per share)					$ 22.17	$ 21.89	$ 21.92
Exercisable, end of year (in dollars per share)					$ 22.37	$ 21.96	$ 21.64
Share-based payment award, fair value assumptions and methodology [Abstract]
Estimated dividend yield (in hundredths)						3.81%	3.11%
Minimum, Expected volatility (in hundredths)						25.20%	20.90%
Maximum, Expected volatility (in hundredths)						44.70%	51.20%
Weighted-average volatility (in hundredths)						35.61%	32.76%
Minimum, Risk-free interest rate (in hundredths)						0.06%	0.17%
Maximum, Risk-free interest rate (in hundredths)						1.51%	2.75%
Expected term (years)								3 months	3 months	6 years 4 months 24 days	6 years 4 months 24 days
Abbreviated period granted to option holders to exercise options retirement					90 days	90 days	90 days
Non-vested restricted stock awards activity in shares
Non-vested, beginning of year (in shares)				0
Granted (in shares)				57,720
Vested (in shares)				0
Forfeited (in shares)				(300)
Non-vested, end of year (in shares)				57,420
Non-vested restricted stock awards activity in dollars per share weighted-average grant-date fair value
Non-vested, beginning of year (in dollars per share)				$ 0.00
Granted (in dollars per share)				$ 25.90
Vested (in dollars per share)				$ 0.00
Forfeited (in dollars per share)				$ 25.90
Non-vested, end of year (in dollars per share)				$ 25.90
Non-vested option activity in shares
Non-vested, beginning of year (in shares)					694,251	674,207	612,701
Granted (in shares)					0	263,161	277,180
Vested (in shares)					(245,908)	(243,117)	(213,649)
Forfeited (in shares)					0	0	(2,025)
Non-vested, end of year (in shares)					448,343	694,251	674,207
Non-vested option activity in dollars per share weighted-average grant-date fair value
Non-vested, beginning of year (in dollars per share)					$ 3.86	$ 3.58	$ 2.64
Granted (in dollars per share)					$ 0.00	$ 3.83	$ 5.01
Vested (in dollars per share)					$ 3.35	$ 3.05	$ 2.75
Forfeited (in dollars per share)					$ 0.00	$ 0.00	$ 3.03
Non-vested, end of year (in dollars per share)					$ 4.14	$ 3.86	$ 3.58
Additional information relating to options outstanding and options vested (exercisable) [Abstract]
Restricted stock awards outstanding, Aggregate intrinsic value				1,758,200
Options outstanding, Number of options (in shares)					1,135,206
Options outstanding, Weighted-average exercise price (in dollars per share)					$ 22.17
Options outstanding, Aggregate intrinsic value					9,586,944
Options outstanding, Weighted-average remaining term					5 years 4 months 6 days
Options exercisable, Number of options (in shares)					686,863
Options exercisable, Weighted-average exercise price (in dollars per share)					$ 22.37
Options exercisable, Aggregate intrinsic value					$ 5,664,006
Options exercisable, Weighted-average remaining term					4 years 1 month 13 days
Other Stock Purchase Plan Shares Activity [Roll Forward]
Shares available for purchase, beginning of year (in shares)												370,400	407,102	441,423		149,404	155,467	167,848	0	161,236	169,383
Shares registered during period (in shares)																200,000	0	0	661,185	0	0
Shares deregistered during period (in shares)																(148,204)	0	0	0	(161,185)	0
Shares purchased under the plan (in shares)												(31,234)	(36,702)	(34,321)		(5,035)	(6,063)	(12,381)	(2,228)	(51)	(8,147)
Shares available for purchase, end of year (in shares)												339,166	370,400	407,102		196,165	149,404	155,467	658,957	0	161,236
Other stock purchase plan stock option exercise price range lower range limit (in dollars per share)												$ 21.98				$ 19.25			$ 28.11	$ 21.38	$ 18.13
Other stock purchase plan stock option exercise price range upper range limit (in dollars per share)												$ 26.01				$ 22.28			$ 31.47	$ 23.22	$ 24.25