Scots having to take unplanned and unpaid leave from work

Rich Horner | Supplied

It found that 22 per cent of people in Scotland had to take between one and three weeks off. With the latest Government figures reporting over 500,000 people in the UK were injured at work last year, this could leave potentially thousands of people facing a loss of income, warned MetLife UK.

Just over a quarter of respondents said they were not paid by their employer during these periods of unplanned leave. A fifth were paid for part of their time off, but later received only reduced payment, while 13 per cent were only paid for a short period of time while they were unable to work. 

Unsurprisingly, 15 per cent of people in Scotland would rely heavily on their savings in the event of an accident or injury, with 12 per cent having to cut back on their shopping and spending to keep up with bills and ongoing costs, said MetLIfe UK.

MetLife UK’s research also asked respondents to think about additional financial support under these circumstances. Some 11 per cent of people in Scotland said they would need to rely on their credit card or overdraft to get by, with the same proportion having to borrow money from their parents. Some 8 per cent said they would have to rely on their partner being able to work overtime and 10 per cent said they would have no option but to miss bill payments during this time. 

Despite this, just 8 per cent of people in Scotland have accident and sickness cover which supports those recovering from injuries or accidents, and only 6 percent have income protection, which replaces part of a person’s income if they are unable to work due to illness or an accident. 

Separate research from MetLife UK revealed that 35 per cent of UK advisers who recommend protection products to clients said they are only interested in financial protection once it's too late and an accident has already happened. And a quarter of UK advisers said their clients do not understand the difference in financial protection offering.

Rich Horner, head of individual protection at MetLife UK, commented: “Accidents happen and they’re common, but our research shows us that we’re not always prepared for when it happens. Although it’s hugely positive that 23 per cent of people in Scotland have life insurance, people aren’t protecting their lives for the now, for today’s moments. For example, if they have a fall and break a bone, or hurt themselves playing sport or simply having an accident whilst taking their child to the park. 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.”