Different roles, different risks
A housekeeper might turn twenty rooms a day, bending over beds, pushing heavy trolleys and using cleaning chemicals. Porters lift luggage up and down stairs. Reception and reservations staff sit or stand at a desk for most of a shift. Insurers price each of these jobs differently.
Back injuries, repetitive strain in the shoulders and wrists, and skin irritation from cleaning products come up often in housekeeping. Front of house teams more often report stress and the effects of night work.
When your job comes with a room
Live-in roles are common in country hotels, resorts and seasonal work. If illness stops you working, you could lose your accommodation as well as your pay. Income protection gives you a monthly sum to rent somewhere else while you recover.
Seasonal staff should keep payslips from each contract. Insurers want a pattern of earnings over time, and gaps between seasons can affect how much you can insure.
Sick pay and choosing when cover starts
Large hotel groups sometimes pay company sick pay for a set period. Independent hotels more often pay statutory sick pay only. Read your contract, then pick a deferred period that starts when your sick pay ends or your savings run low.
Insurers sort occupations into risk classes, which affects the price and the definition of incapacity used at claim time. Some policies assess you against your own job; others against any suitable work.
- Housekeepers and porters: ask how the insurer defines your duties
- Night staff: be ready to answer questions on sleep and health
- Supervisors: a mostly managerial role may be rated more favourably
Moving up through the hotel
Hotel careers often start in housekeeping or on the front desk and lead to supervisor, duty manager and general manager roles. As your duties become more about managing people and less about lifting, your risk class may improve. Tell the insurer when your job changes, because an outdated description can cause trouble at claim time.
Promotions often bring a better contract, including company sick pay or death in service. That can change the cover you need. A longer deferred period may now make sense, cutting your premium while still leaving no gap between company sick pay ending and your policy starting.
Agency staff placed in hotels should look closely at who pays them. If an agency employs you, its sick pay rules apply, not the hotel's.
How Hi Tomorrow supports hotel staff
We find out exactly what your role involves, so the insurer rates the job you do rather than a vague title. We compare policies across our panel and explain the waiting period and incapacity definition in each.
We can also arrange life cover for your family or mortgage. Our advice on personal protection is free.