Vitality research reveals gaps in employee awareness of sick leave policies
12 May 2025
Vitality finds employee awareness gap
New research from Vitality highlights significant gaps in employee awareness on workplace sick leave policies, potentially leaving them financially unprotected if they are unable to work due to illness.
The research found a third (35%) of employees admit they don’t know, or are unsure, what their company’s sick leave policy is. Additionally, around a third (36%) are not sure how long their employer would pay them if they were off work ill, with a further 9% saying their employer doesn’t pay sick leave at all*.
The research also highlights the important role that insurers can play in supporting support people get back to work quicker, with 85% saying that insurers have either full (35%) or (50%) significant responsibility. Only 1% disagreed and said that insurers do not have much responsibility. **
Vitality’s Income Protection offering is designed to be there at the point of need and support people in their recovery, helping them return to work sooner. The product has been designed to support the rehabilitation of the most common of causes of claim on their Income Protection offering, offering four specialised pathways: mental health support, physiotherapy, neuro-rehabilitation services and cancer care support.
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.”
Income Protection is just one of the products from Vitality, putting the health and wellbeing of customers at the centre of the product, helping members live longer in better health.
Notes to Editors
*Consumer research carried out with Opinium on behalf of Vitality with 2,000 participants between 20th February – 27th February 2025
**Research carried out with OnePoll on behalf of Vitality with 200 UK insurance advisers who wright insurance policies between 6th March and 10th March 2025