A new survey from income protection provider Cirencester Friendly reveals more than eight out of 10 workers think if they couldn’t work due to illness or injury, it would damage their personal confidence. A third believe it would have a major impact and only 8% of workers think it would have no effect at all. This dent to confidence could hamper the speed of recovery and delay a return to work.
Generational differences
Whilst the majority in all generations believe being unable to work through ill health would affect their personal confidence, millennial workers are the ones who say they would be impacted the most. More than nine in 10 (91%) believe it would have an effect, and almost four in ten (37%) think it would have a major impact. This is significantly higher than for Gen Zs, with just 23% saying it would have a major impact.
When it comes to associating a sense of purpose with work, millennials again are the ones most likely to concur with this sentiment. 45% say strongly agree, which is notably higher than for Gen Zs (36%) and especially Gen Xs (30%).
Exacerbating the confidence gap
Women’s personal confidence would be more likely to be affected than men’s. 38% believe it would have a major impact compared to 28% of men. Only 6% of women think it would have no effect at all. Numerous studies have shown that overall, men tend to have higher levels of self-esteem than women, so being impaired by an illness could widen this ‘confidence gap’ even further.
Women are also slightly more likely than men to agree that work provides them with a sense of purpose. 75% agree with this statement compared to 69%. This illustrates how far gender roles have changed in society, particularly in the twenty-first century, with women working not just for financial gain but meaning too.
Director of Distribution, Alan Waddington, said: “Work has a huge impact on how we feel about ourselves and our worth. These results show that it is millennials, those people currently aged 28 to 43, who feel this most keenly. This is the generation that is likely to be settled in their careers, with retirement still a far-off prospect. Work is often what defines them, and if they are unable to play an active role in the economy due to illness or injury, they are likely to be deeply affected. To help them recover fully, it’s important we acknowledge this impact on their emotions.
This strong connection between work and self-esteem is why we’ve invested in providing additional support to claimants of all ages, providing extra services to help build their confidence and ensure that when they are physically able to return to work, they are mentally fit to do so too.”
Survey conducted by Opinium Research on behalf of Cirencester Friendly with 2612 working adults living in the UK in August 2025
