Group income protection - employer information

Group Income Protection can help to create a well-rounded benefits package and provides much needed financial support for employees who are unable to work for a prolonged period due to illness or injury. It helps with managing the impact of absence on the workplace and can also help with the recruitment and retention of staff.

Zurich Group Income Protection allows you to pay your employees a percentage of continued income if illness or injury prevent them from working for a prolonged period.

Why choose Zurich Corporate Risk for Group Income Protection?

With our Group Income Protection you'll have the option to tailor your cover to meet the needs of your business, your employees and your budget.

You and your employees will also have access to our specialist rehabilitation team – qualified, medical professionals who can support employees whether ill at work (presenteeism) or from the early stages of their absence, and throughout their recovery and return to work.

Our rehabilitation services include:

Mental health support, from fully qualified, registered mental health nurses
Our rehab access clinic, giving your HR personnel exclusive access to our rehabilitation consultants, e.g. to discuss issues such as when to engage occupational health services
Presenteeism and early intervention support
Return-to-work planning
A cancer support service
Free online workshops for HR and people managers, as well as separate workshops for your employees

Our rehabilitation services

As a Group Income Protection customer, your employees will also have access to a range of additional support services, including an employee assistance programme, Virtual GP and Second Medical Opinion services.

Zurich Group Income Protection - key features and benefits

Cover available for employees aged 16 to 69
Covers up to 80% of an employee’s salary, up to the policy terminating age
Can provide cover for an employer's pensions and national insurance contributions
You can choose when income replacement will start: either 8, 13, 26, 28, 41 or 52 weeks
Limited benefit period - option for the benefit to be paid for a limited period of 2, 3, 4, or 5 years
You can choose to provide a lump sum payable at the end of the limited benefit payment period. The lump sum can be up to four times an employee’s salary (a maximum of £1,600,000 applies)
You can choose if benefits will increase annually during a claim to protect against inflation
Can be paid direct to an employee who has left an employment, subject to certain criteria

Getting a quote

If you'd like to get a quote for Zurich Group Income Protection cover, please speak to your adviser.

If you don't have an adviser, please visit Financial Services Register | FCA.

Flexible benefits

Our flexible benefits proposition gives you the flexibility to design your benefits and choose the minimum level of cover. This can help you manage the cost of your employee benefits package, whilst giving your employees the flexibility to choose from the options you provide.

What difference can Group Income Protection make?

The video below provides a simple example of the difference between having cover in place and not having cover, and what this can mean for your employees.

Here's how our rehabilitation team have helped

Discover how we've helped people manage their transition back to work, with support from our rehabilitation nurses.

Katherine's story

After being diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, Katherine, shares the moment support mattered most. Through the Zurich Cancer Support service, available through her employer’s Group Income Protection cover, Katherine was introduced to Amanda, a dedicated cancer support nurse who became a significant part of her recovery. Read Katherine’s story.

I was told you have breast cancer called triple negative and it's aggressive. It's changed my life and I now have to adapt to a new normal, but it's changed my life in positive ways as well.

Hi, my name's Katherine. I am a mum of two boys. I have been married to my husband for 25 years and we met when we were 18. I have worked in the financial industry for 30 years. I love my career. I have a very happy life.

I regularly had breast checks. I went for my annual appointment and I had the cyst. It wouldn't drain, so biopsies were taken.

About a week later, I went back to see my consultant and on this instance, I was told you have breast cancer and it's aggressive.

Had I walked out of that room that day and not had that cyst drained, I would have been facing a very different diagnosis.

A few months later. Immediately everything kicks off. I was able to have surgery within 4 weeks and then you embark on a real pathway of treatment that you have no idea how it's going to impact you.

I really struggled not feeling like myself, not looking like myself. That's where I really struggled. I couldn't look in the mirror. So, when your treatment comes to an end, it's like falling off a cliff. That's when I realised I needed the Zurich Cancer Support service.

So, when Katherine came to me, she'd actually received her diagnosis about 10 months before.

My role was predominantly to support her with managing the effects that the treatment had had on her body and on her emotionally.

For lots of people, and for Katherine as well, one of the main worries when their treatment finishes is the loss of that security blanket of that regular contact with their clinical team.

Meeting Amanda today, I'm, I'm excited. It's going to be very emotional. I've only spoken to Amanda on the phone, but she's done so much to help me and get me through.

You need somebody who has a level of understanding, has that time to spend talking, really getting to know people because they are about so much more than their cancer diagnosis.

Knowing that Amanda was there if I needed to talk to her was the support that I didn't know I needed.

She's been a significant part of my recovery. As somebody who is happy to speak, that using my voice is really important to raise awareness for triple negative breast cancer.

Without Zurich and meeting Amanda, I would have had no idea the impact that my voice could have.

Sue's story

Sue had been off work for two months with long Covid. She was struggling to cope with the psychological effects and fatigue, which resulted in her being unable to fulfil her job requirements. Nicola, our rehabilitation nurse, worked closely with her to understand her health situation and focus on a gradual rehabilitation plan to help Sue get back to her old life. Read Sue’s story.

Caroline's story

Caroline was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer aged 29. Fortunately, her employer had a Group Income Protection policy with Zurich. After a successful clinical trial, Caroline was told there was no longer any evidence of disease, and she was able to return to work. Read Caroline’s story.