More than a third (35 percent) of employees say they don’t know, or are unsure of, what their employer’s sick leave policy is, research has found.
The knowledge gaps revealed by research from provider Vitality mean workers may not be financially protected if they have to take time off sick.
A similar proportion (36 percent) of the 2,000 employees surveyed admitted that they are not sure how long their employer would pay them if they were off work ill. A further 9 percent reported that their employer doesn’t pay staff sick leave.
Separate research, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Vitality with 200 UK insurance advisers, found that these professionals recognise the key role they have in helping people return to work more quickly. The majority (85 percent) said insurers have either full (35 percent) or significant (50 percent) responsibility. Only 1 percent disagreed and said that insurers do not have much responsibility.
Justin Taurog, CEO of Vitality Life, said: “Falling ill and being unable to work can put a tremendous strain on household finances. While income protection has traditionally provided financial support in these circumstances, we’ve been working to ensure it goes further than this, providing value throughout the life of the policy and playing a vital role in supporting people in their recovery, so they are able to return to work sooner.”
