Nearly half of working parents feel concerned over requesting time off work for childcare responsibilities, according to MetLife.
MetLife research indicated that half of parents had to take time off work due to their child’s accident. This involved 14 per cent of employees using annual leave, 16 per cent taking unpaid leave, or 3 per cent using a combination of both.
Furthermore, nearly half of working parents or 48 per cent do not have a savings account to handle such crises, which has major financial consequences.
MetLife UK’s ChildShield helps parents financially if their child is involved in an accident or becomes critically ill by providing a payout to cover bills and lost income. It also has a Wellbeing Support Centre Hub and a 24/7 virtual GP service (GP24), providing year-round access to medical treatment and medicines.
MetLife UK head of individual protection Rich Horner says: “Schools out for summer and that can only mean one thing, our children want and need to be entertained. Whether you’re taking them out, attending clubs or simply enjoying time with family or their friends, it’s prime time for a potential accident. And as parents, whilst we naturally worry about our children the reality is that despite 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.
“Yet, a huge number of parents aren’t aware that products such as ChildShield exist, and while it’s encouraging that many protect themselves, they still don’t cover their children and protect their family finances in the event of not being able to work because of accidents or serious illness. We want summer to be memorable not medical, we want parents to say ‘yes’ to their children doing the things they want and love this summer – and while we can’t prevent illness and accidents from happening, we can help parents head into summer without the additional worry about finances should the “what ifs” happens.”
