Two-thirds or 68 per cent of parents have had to take time off work or scale back their business responsibilities when their child faced illness or accidents with 34 per cent taking unpaid leave, according to MetLife UK.
MetLife UK addresses working parents’ challenges when caring for sick or injured children.
Research finds that 28 per cent of employees had taken 3.81 days on average in yearly leave for this purpose. 11 per cent took longer than a week, while 50 per cent took up to a week off. It is a concern for 26 per cent of respondents to request time off and 15 per cent to report financial difficulty.
MetLife’s new product, ChildShield, offers financial protection for as low as £6/month. It includes a virtual GP service available around the clock and a hub for the wellbeing support centre.
MetLife UK head of individual protection Rich Horner says: “When your child is poorly or has an accident it’s already a worrying time. But when you throw into the equation needing to take the time off to care for them, whilst juggling work, how your employer/team will manage, and layered with the financial impact – it can make an already tough situation much more stressful. Parents are already under immense pressure so where we can, we are supporting parents to help alleviate some of their concerns and help prepare for the unexpected.
“The fact is that despite our best efforts, accidents and illnesses do happen. And when children suffer something serious, we want parents to focus on being there in the moment your child needs you – not worrying about the financial impact should you have to take unpaid time off. This is exactly why we have launched ChildShield.”
