Small chairs, heavy toddlers
Early years work is physical in ways people outside the job rarely appreciate. You lift babies in and out of cots, carry toddlers, change nappies at changing stations and spend much of the day crouched, kneeling or sitting on tiny chairs. Over time that adds up to back, hip and knee problems that can make each shift painful.
Outdoor play, trips and messy activities bring the odd slip or fall. A back injury that stops you lifting means you cannot safely care for young children, so most settings will not let you return until you are fit, even on reduced duties.
- Lower back strain from lifting and bending
- Knee and hip problems from kneeling and low seating
- Slips during outdoor play
- Repeated infections from close contact with children
Every bug in the building
New nursery staff often say the first year is one cold after another. Stomach bugs, conjunctivitis, chickenpox and flu move quickly through a room of under-fives, and nurseries usually ask staff with sickness and diarrhoea to stay away for a set time after symptoms stop. Pregnant staff need to be especially careful with some childhood infections.
Short illnesses rarely need income protection, but they show how quickly an income based on statutory sick pay can fall apart. A longer illness or injury, lasting weeks or months, is where cover really matters and where savings run out fastest.
What statutory sick pay means for you
Many private, voluntary and independent nurseries pay statutory sick pay only. It starts after a few waiting days, is a flat weekly amount set by the government, and is much lower than most nursery wages. Settings run by councils or schools may pay more generous company sick pay.
If you would get only statutory sick pay, a short deferred period of around four weeks means your income protection starts paying quickly. If you get more, you can match the deferred period to when it ends and pay a lower premium.
Life cover for families on a nursery wage
Many nursery workers have young children of their own. If you died, your partner would need to cover childcare and household costs on one income. Life insurance can provide a lump sum, and family income benefit can pay a monthly amount until your children are older, often at a lower cost.
If you rent, cover can still help your family stay in their home and keep up with bills while they adjust. A small policy costs less than most people expect, and it can be increased later when your circumstances change.
If you are a nursery manager or own the setting, the business may depend on you as well. Key person cover or business protection might be worth a conversation alongside your personal policy.
How Hi Tomorrow helps early years staff
We look at your sick pay and your budget, then compare income protection from insurers on our panel that accept early years work. Insurers group occupations into risk classes, which affects price and whether the claim is judged against your own job or a wider test. We explain these differences clearly.
We can also find affordable life cover that fits around childcare and household costs, and explain how family income benefit compares with a lump sum for a family with young children. Every application is subject to the insurer's underwriting.