More than half of UK adults have been injured in an everyday accident, but many employees admit they are unprepared for the financial implications if they need time off work, which can be significant.
The research, published during Injury Awareness Week (23rd June – 29th June 2025), was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of protection and employee benefits provider MetLife UK. Researchers polled 3,021 working age adults and 500 financial advisers.
Results showed that 56 percent of UK adults have been injured, with trips or falls accounting for 32 percent of these accidents, 22 percent being injured in road traffic incidents, and 19 percent reporting sports injuries. Yet despite how common these incidents are, 52 percent of UK adults admit they would need financial support if they had to take time off work unexpectedly.
The provider calculated that workers recovering from an injury face an average income shortfall of £1,217. It said this is a wage loss that many are unprepared for. One in ten (11 percent) have already taken a month or more of unplanned leave due to an injury, while 13 percent say they’d have to dip into their savings to cope. Only 7 percent have personal injury or accident and sickness insurance in place.
For employers, this raises questions about workforce resilience. Unplanned absence due to accidents not only disrupts operations but can increase costs through lost productivity, sick pay, and additional staffing needs.
The types of injuries reported underline the seriousness of these risks. Half of those affected have broken a bone, while a fifth have experienced concussions (21 percent). Injuries causing joint immobility, such as elbows, hips, ankles and knees, were reported by 14 percent, slipped disks were sustained by 10 percent and third-degree burns affected 6 percent.
MetLife’s research also found that 29 percent of financial advisers say their clients are becoming more aware of the need to protect their everyday lives.
