Life on the motorway
Field sales reps cover big territories, visiting customers, demonstrating products and chasing orders. You might spend more hours a week in your car than at a desk. Long drives, early starts, service station lunches and nights in hotels are part of the routine.
Hours behind the wheel bring a higher chance of road accidents than office work, and sitting in a car for long stretches is hard on the lower back. Some reps lift heavy samples, display kit or stock in and out of the boot several times a day. Income protection pays a monthly benefit if illness or injury keeps you off the road beyond your deferred period.
When commission and the car allowance stop
Many reps have a basic salary, commission or bonus, and a company car or car allowance. If you are off long-term, sick pay may cover only your basic. Commission stops, and some employers ask for the company car back after a long absence.
Insurers usually include regular commission when setting your benefit. They may ask for P60s or payslips over several years. Some will count a car allowance paid as cash. A broker can find out how each insurer treats your package before you apply.
- Check what your employer pays during long sickness
- Gather evidence of commission over several years
- Ask whether your car allowance counts as earnings
Driving, lifting and your occupation group
Every insurer keeps its own table of occupations. Field sales roles with a lot of driving may sit slightly higher than pure office jobs, and reps who also install or service equipment may sit higher still. The group a rep falls into affects both the premium and the incapacity definition on offer.
Own occupation cover is often available for sales roles, so a claim is judged on whether you can do your job. Be accurate about your annual mileage and any manual work, because those answers matter if you ever claim.
Self-employed agents and commission-only reps
Some reps work on a commission-only basis as self-employed agents for one or more firms. There is no sick pay at all, and your income stops on the first day you cannot travel.
Insurers assess self-employed reps on their profits, usually averaged over a few years. A shorter deferred period gives more protection, while a longer one keeps the premium lower if you have savings.
Life cover for reps and how Hi Tomorrow helps
Life insurance protects your mortgage and your family if you die during the policy term. Death in service, if offered, is usually a multiple of basic salary and leaves commission out.
We help reps work out a realistic benefit, compare the insurers on our panel and describe their role accurately on the application. You can start the form online whenever suits you.