For ‘In Focus‘ this month, Zoe Odusina, Chief People Officer at Reassured, explores how the workplace can help make protection conversations more accessible, using employee benefits and financial wellbeing initiatives to encourage future planning.
Starting the conversation earlier
For many young people, long-term financial planning simply isn’t part of everyday life. When you’re saving for a first home, building a career or enjoying new independence, protection products can feel like something to think about years down the line.
That’s exactly why the workplace has such an important role to play.
Employee benefits have evolved significantly over the years, with many companies now offering access to resources including financial wellbeing initiatives and support that encourage employees to think about their future in a way that feels natural rather than overwhelming.
Pensions are a great example. For many people, enrolling into a workplace pension is the first time they’re asked to consider their long-term financial future. That conversation can also create an opportunity to introduce wider topics around financial resilience, including protection.
Making protection relevant
The challenge is that protection can be a difficult sell for younger people because they often don’t see an immediate need. If you don’t have children or anyone financially dependent on you, it can feel like a problem for another day.
But protection isn’t just about life stages or ticking a box. It’s about understanding your own “why”.
For some, that might be buying a first home with a partner and wanting to protect the life you’re building together. For others, it could be recognising that they’re the eldest sibling, helping to support family members or simply wanting to ensure loved ones aren’t left facing additional financial and emotional challenges during an already difficult time.
Everyone’s reason is different, which is why conversations need to focus on people rather than products.
Building protection into financial wellbeing
By embedding these discussions into existing workplace benefits, employers can help normalise topics that many young people would never actively seek out. Instead of introducing protection as a standalone purchase, it becomes part of a wider conversation about financial wellbeing and planning for the future.
At Reassured, we also offer our protection products to employees at a discounted rate, making it easier for colleagues to access cover and take practical steps towards protecting the people who matter most to them. It’s one way of reinforcing that financial wellbeing is an important part of overall employee wellbeing.
Creating lasting financial confidence
Ultimately, employers are in a unique position to open doors that might otherwise stay closed. By creating opportunities for education, encouraging employees to think about their personal motivations and making protection part of everyday financial conversations, we can help younger generations build confidence and resilience for whatever the future may hold.
