Things your employer shouldn’t choose for you (including your insurance)

I want to start this article by saying I am in no way against employer benefits. I think the employers who make the choice to look after their team should be commended. Employer benefits are helpful – but they’re designed for groups. Your life isn’t.

Some choices are too personal to outsource. There are simply some decisions you would never let your employer make for you. I’d love you to picture your HR setting up some form of speed dating and telling you that “this is your future partner, you’ll drive a 17 plate family car and live in a city centre terraced house” – or telling you that your next holiday has to be to a beach resort in Greece (who knows, maybe we wouldn’t mind that one too much)

What they definitely shouldn’t be deciding is how much risk your livelihood or family are put through if something happens to you. Your employer knows your job, and you know your life.

Insurance has quietly become a choice that too many of us allow our employer to make for us. Employer insurance often arrives by default, and people accept it because it’s there. Not because it’s right. It often feels like something you’re given rather than choose, and when something feels free and easy, it’s rarely questioned.

Employer cover definitely has a role – it is convenient, it can be cost effective, and it absolutely provides a great level of protection for people who may not have advisors in their life. It’s designed to suit most people adequately, not you specifically.

As advisers it’s our job to educate you on how you could potentially layer your cover, and the advantages of making your own educated decisions. Having separate personal insurance often is far more flexible, and gives you room to adapt as life changes (such as when you may be taking out a new mortgage). You can stay in complete control of your policy if your income and responsibilities grow. Life changes more often than your employers do – and sometimes more suddenly.

It is also really important to acknowledge the major differences between providers. If your priority is less advanced cancer cover – there is no guarantee your insurer will provide that. If your priority is partial payments for less advanced conditions, or simply more conditions covered, we are here to guide you in the right direction.

Reviewing cover doesn’t mean cancelling employer benefits. The goal is to align your cover, not to replace it. Insurance works best when it fits around your life, not your job title.

Tara John, Senior Associate Mortgage & Protection Broker