Some 60% of construction site workers wrongly believe their employers will pay their salaries and medical benefits in the event of illness or injury. Russ Piper says ignorance is hardly bliss as it could leave them financially vulnerable.
The potential dangers of working in the construction sector have been well documented, and this was highlighted in a survey we commissioned recently among a nationally representative sample of site workers.
This revealed that a third of respondents had needed medical treatment for an injury suffered or illness contracted at work during their careers.
It's interesting to note that despite the construction sector accounting for only 5% of UK employees, the Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimated it made up 12% of workplace injuries causing over seven days absence, based on results averaged over the four years to 2012-13.
The LFS also indicated the sector was responsible for 13% of over three-day injuries and 11% of all non-fatal workplace injuries during this period.
In addition, the LFS estimated 1.4 million employment days were lost in construction during 2011-12, 818,000 to ill-health and 584,000 to injury. This made the total-per-worker lost in the industry well above the national average.
Despite all this, our own survey showed site workers were prone to over-estimate the financial protection employers must provide for them, if they are off work due to illness or injury.
The research revealed 57% of site workers wrongly believed their employers had to have insurance which would provide them with salaries and medical benefits in these circumstances.
Our survey revealed almost half (48%) of respondents believed their employers provided adequate cover to fund their medical bills if they became ill or injured at work. Only 21% said this provision was insufficient.
Consistent with all these findings, 40% of site workers said they didn't cover themselves by having a health care cash plan or private medical insurance. In addition, over a quarter (27%) confirmed they didn't have personal accident cover.
About a third of respondents (34%) said they had private medical insurance and a fifth (20%) that they possessed just a cash plan. Just 6% claimed to have both.
Surprisingly, however, almost four site workers in ten (37%) had no idea whether they had personal accident cover or not.
This ignorance among site workers is, of course, concerning, as it could well be leaving them financially vulnerable if those all too prevalent workplace accidents or illnesses occur.
While UK employers are not obliged to provide workers' compensation insurance, they can still proactively support the health and wellbeing of their staff and help them return to work as soon as possible after absences. They can do this by voluntarily paying for the relevant cover for their employees.
Russ Piper is the chief executive of health care cash plan provider Sovereign Health Care.
