STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) Plan $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($) $ / shares shares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of stock option plans | Plan	2
Recognized compensation expense | $	$ 500	$ 357	$ 289
Recognized compensation expense, net of tax | $	325	233	190
Excess tax benefit associated with affiliate’s stock plans | $	95	103	96
Stock Appreciation Rights plan recognized expense | $	$ (7)	$ 15	$ 0
Restricted Stock [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period	4 years	4 years	4 years
Unrecognized compensation cost associated with restricted stock awards, not currently vested | $	$ 983
Weighted-average period over which the compensation expense is expected to be recognized	2 years 6 months 6 days
Total fair value of restricted stock awards that vested | $	$ 233	$ 110	$ 0
Non-vested restricted stock awards activity in shares
Non-vested, beginning of year (in shares)	155,864	85,002	0
Granted (in shares)	117,146	94,146	86,580
Vested (in shares)	(40,941)	(21,223)	0
Forfeited (in shares)	(15,125)	(2,061)	(1,578)
Non-vested, end of year (in shares)	216,944	155,864	85,002
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) | $ / shares	$ 19.21	$ 17.27	$ 0.00
Granted (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	21.36	20.49	17.27
Vested (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	18.99	17.27	0.00
Forfeited (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	19.35	17.74	17.27
Non-vested, end of year (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 20.40	$ 19.21	$ 17.27
Employee Stock Option [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period	5 years	5 years	5 years
Unrecognized compensation cost associated with option awards, not currently vested | $	$ 71
Weighted-average period over which the compensation expense is expected to be recognized	9 months 24 days
Total intrinsic value of options exercised under Employers Mutual's stock option plans | $	$ 770	$ 606	$ 844
Portion of the current tax deduction realized from exercises of stock options | $	121	152	165
Excess tax benefit associated with affiliate’s stock plans | $	$ 95	$ 103	$ 96
Number of options [Roll Forward]
Outstanding, beginning of year (in shares)	1,351,802	1,702,938	2,383,578
Exercised (in shares)	(323,486)	(300,479)	(609,808)
Expired (in shares)	(20,850)	(34,421)	(70,832)
Forfeited (in shares)	(1,295)	(16,236)	0
Outstanding, end of year (in shares)	1,006,171	1,351,802	1,702,938
Options Exercisable, end of year (in shares)	824,365	963,831	1,036,650
Weighted-average exercise price [Roll Forward]
Outstanding, beginning of year (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 14.89	$ 14.78	$ 14.59
Exercised (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	14.86	14.24	14.18
Expired (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	14.11	15.01	13.57
Forfeited (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	14.68	15.29	0.00
Outstanding, end of year (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	14.92	14.89	14.78
Exercisable, end of year (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 14.95	$ 14.94	$ 14.91
Additional information relating to options outstanding and options vested (exercisable) [Abstract]
Options outstanding, Number of options (in shares)	1,006,171
Options outstanding, Weighted-average exercise price (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 14.92
Options outstanding, Aggregate intrinsic value | $	$ 10,836
Options outstanding, Weighted-average remaining term	3 years 11 months 15 days
Options exercisable, Number of options (in shares)	824,365
Options exercisable, Weighted-average exercise price (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 14.95
Options exercisable, Aggregate intrinsic value | $	$ 8,850
Options exercisable, Weighted-average remaining term	3 years 6 months 18 days
Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Registered shares (in shares)	750,000	750,000	750,000
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 | $	$ 59	$ 35	$ 45
Other Stock Purchase Plan Shares Activity [Roll Forward]
Shares available for purchase, beginning of year (in shares)	471,459	508,749	555,600
Shares purchased under the plan (in shares)	(56,576)	(37,290)	(46,851)
Shares available for purchase, end of year (in shares)	414,883	471,459	508,749
Other stock purchase plan stock option exercise price range lower range limit (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 18.75
Other stock purchase plan stock option exercise price range upper range limit (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 21.4
Non-Employee Director Stock Option Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Registered shares (in shares)	300,000	300,000	300,000
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 | $	$ 62	$ 49	$ 36
Other Stock Purchase Plan Shares Activity [Roll Forward]
Shares available for purchase, beginning of year (in shares)	279,809	294,248	224,106
Shares registered during period (in shares)	0	0	300,000
Shares deregistered during period (in shares)	0	0	(222,306)
Shares purchased under the plan (in shares)	(15,363)	(14,439)	(7,552)
Shares available for purchase, end of year (in shares)	264,446	279,809	294,248
Other stock purchase plan stock option exercise price range lower range limit (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 15.51
Other stock purchase plan stock option exercise price range upper range limit (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 18.26
Dividend Reinvestment Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Registered shares (in shares)	991,778	991,778	991,778
Other Stock Purchase Plan Shares Activity [Roll Forward]
Shares available for purchase, beginning of year (in shares)	982,227	988,436	0
Shares registered during period (in shares)	0	0	991,778
Shares purchased under the plan (in shares)	(5,530)	(6,209)	(3,342)
Shares available for purchase, end of year (in shares)	976,697	982,227	988,436
Other stock purchase plan stock option exercise price range lower range limit (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 21.02	$ 18.69	$ 18.74
Other stock purchase plan stock option exercise price range upper range limit (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 26.43	$ 23.59	$ 20.98
Employers Mutual Casualty Company Incentive Stock Option 2003 Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Registered shares (in shares)	2,250,000	2,250,000	2,250,000
Time limit for granting awards	10 years	10 years	10 years
Employers Mutual Casualty Company Stock Incentive 2007 Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Registered shares (in shares)	3,000,000	3,000,000	3,000,000
Time limit for granting awards	10 years	10 years	10 years