· Well over a quarter (27%) of working parents admit they’d feel guilty about needing last minute time off work to care for their poorly child
· One in six (17%) fear this would make them look bad in front of their employer, whilst 6% fear their employer would enforce a pay cut
· But it’s not just workers guilt taking over, one in four parents are concerned about the financial impact
Over a quarter (27%) of working parents in the UK would feel guilty about taking unplanned time off work, or out of their business, to care for their poorly child, according to new research from protection and employee benefits provider, MetLife UK.
The research amongst working parents, found that they’re concerned about the impact that taking time off work to care for their child due to injury or illness would bring – with one in six (17%) feeling afraid it would reflect badly on them and their professional role. 13% are also anxious it would impact future promotions and pay rises, and 10% think their colleagues would resent them. 9% also said they feared prolonged time off work would result in them getting a written warning or their contract being terminated.
But it’s not just working parents’ guilt for taking time off work, there’s also the added financial worries too with 25% feeling concerned about the financial impact. This comes as a quarter of working parents who’ve had no choice but to take unpaid time off to care for their child – if they’ve been unwell or had an accident – have had or would have to use their savings to get by. And 48% admit they don’t have a savings pot set aside in case they need to take unpaid time off work or away from their business.
More positively, the research found that more than a quarter (27%) of working parents confirmed that their employer is family oriented and would likely be understanding of their situation. And, when asked specifically about a time when previously their child may have been injured or unwell, well over a third (37%) said their employer would allow them to leave work immediately, whilst 28% said their employer would allow them to work flexible hours, and 23% could work remotely.
Rich Horner, Head of Individual Protection at MetLife UK commented: “Slips, trips, tumbles and falls are all inevitable when raising children – no matter what age they are. Plus, there’s the additional worry of serious childhood illnesses that also require hospital treatment.
“We have all heard of parent guilt, the guilt we feel having to work when we could be with our children, but it seems that for parents, especially if self-employed or those with less flexibility at work, needing sudden or prolonged periods of time off for childcare can quickly create bigger problems if there aren’t sufficient safety nets in place, and in addition, further guilt towards our colleagues and employers!
“We understand the immense strain that parents are under. And, whilst we can’t take that guilt away, we can help to remove some of the financial burden that comes with taking unpaid or reduced pay time off work to care for their child when they’re poorly or have had an accident. ChildShield is a simple, effective financial protection for parents across the UK, so they can concentrate on their family’s needs without added financial worry, and hopefully one less thing to feel guilty about.”
MetLife’s ChildShield product, which is the first of its kind to cover children outside of an adult policy, aims to support working parents from experiencing income gaps or job concerns should their child(ren) have an accident or become seriously ill. From just £6 per month, policies pay out cash when working parents need to take time off work to care for their child(ren), and covers families in a way that isn’t a burden on their monthly income – rather a way of enhancing financial security.
One ChildShield policy covers all children in the family up to 23 years old – including stepchildren and children who no longer live within the same household, and an additional benefit is that the adult policy holder and their families all also get access to the virtual GP appointment service (GP24). This gives families fast and direct access to medical experts – including unlimited consultations with UK-based remote GPs available to book any time, day, or night, 365 days a year.
