More than a fifth take injury leave without pay

Published: 22 August 2024 | by: Personnel Today

More than a fifth of people who had to take leave due to an injury last year were not paid while they recovered, according to MetLife UK.

A survey by the benefits and protection company found that 11% of working adults had to take a month’s unplanned leave due to an injury from an accident, while just under a quarter (24%) had to take between one and three weeks.

Government figures show that more than 500,000 people were injured at work last year, and MetLife believes thousands of workers could be managing sickness absence without an income.

Over one fifth of respondents (22%) said they were not paid by their employer during these periods of unplanned leave.

A fifth (20%) were paid for part of their time off, but later received only reduced payment, while 15% were only paid for a short period of time while they were unable to work.

Thirteen per cent said they would have to rely on their savings in the event of an accident or injury, while 11% said they would have to cut back on spending to keep up with bills and living costs.

MetLife also found that 9% would use a credit card or go into overdraft to get by, and the same proportion would borrow from their parents. Others said they would rely on a partner working overtime or would simply miss bill payments.

Its survey revealed that 35% of advisers who recommend income protection find that clients are only interested once an accident or issue has already happened.

Unsurprisingly then, only a small proportion have accident and sickness cover that would support them financially in the event of an accident (7%).

Rich Horner, head of individual protection at MetLife UK, said: “Accidents happen and they’re common, but our research shows us that we’re not always prepared for when it happens.”

Too many people were focusing on life insurance rather than investing in protection for events that could happen at any time such as falling and breaking a bone, an accident playing sports or even an injury when taking a child to the park, he added.

“We want people to feel confident to live their lives for the now and say yes to the everyday without the financial stress and worry should they have an accident,” said Horner.

The company encouraged employees to sign up for its Everyday Project cover, which supports a range of injuries for a low monthly cost.