workers fear using disability benefits

• Key insight: See why nearly half of US workers hesitate to use disability benefits.
• What’s at stake: Employees who delay taking medical leave face serious personal and professional consequences.
• Looking ahead: Prepare for a shift in prioritizing executive education to build confidence in the benefits.

Nearly half of U.S. workers worry that using disability benefits could hurt their future career prospects, according to a new survey, highlighting the need for better education about leave policies and employee protections.

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The research carried out by the company Quikaid for the defense of Social Security disabilities has also revealed that 76% of workers driven by pain, burning, disease or other health risks because they could not stop working.

“While the number is certainly eye-opening, it is unfortunately inconsistent with today’s economic reality,” said Quikaid CEO David Wright. “For many workers, missing even one paycheck can create immediate financial pressure, and it feels safer to keep working through the pain than to take time off.”

47 percent of employees said they felt pressure to downsize hide a health problem at work, only half trust employers to prioritize their well-being over productivity. Among workers who have experienced a loss of income due to an injury or illness, 72% say the financial impact was greater than expected, and 36% say it was much worse than expected.

The findings are out A survey of 1,000 US adults Those who are currently employed or have worked in the past two years, examining how workers respond to illness, injury and unexpected loss of income.

Read more: How do insurance benefits vary based on the size of your business?

Wright recently spoke with Employee Benefits News about the survey results and how employers can build confidence around disability benefits. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What makes the difference between employers offering disability benefits and those actually understood or used by employees?
It’s not that disability benefits don’t exist, it’s just that many workers don’t learn about them until they’re already in crisis mode. According to our research, 2 in 5 workers are not sure if they are eligible for disability benefits, and almost a quarter would not know where to start the application process. That’s a pretty accurate reflection current state of disability awareness.

Another factor contributing to this gap is that benefits enrollment meetings often place more emphasis on preparing employees for plan selection than preparing them for the actual situations in which they will actually need to use those benefits. If someone is dealing with an injury, serious illness, or mental health crisis, they are less likely to absorb complex information that they have not encountered before.

Read more: How to improve your benefits communication strategy

A more effective approach is to treat disability education as an ongoing conversation rather than a once-a-year compliance exercise.

How much of this is an education issue, as opposed to a deeper workplace culture issue around termination?
They are both, and both reinforce each other. Employees are unlikely to use benefits they don’t understand. Even when they are aware of these benefits, they may avoid using them if they believe that taking time off could damage their reputation or limit their career prospects.

Our research found that nearly half of workers feel pressured to minimize or hide health problems at work, reinforcing that the cultural barrier is as important as the informational one. After all, education explains how to use benefits, while workplace culture determines whether employees feel safe using them. Companies that improve communication without addressing the stigma around taking time off and prioritize personal health are likely to see only modest improvements in benefits utilization.

Almost half of workers worry that using disability benefits could harm their future at work – what do you think is behind this fear?
Employees are making practical assessments based on the incentives they see in the workplace. Performance reviews, promotions, project assignments, and visibility often reward continued usefulness, so it’s understandable that employees worry that leaving, even for legitimate reasons, could have long-term career consequences.

Some of that concern comes from personal experience, but a lot of it comes from uncertainty. When companies don’t openly discuss disability leave or highlight leaders who have successfully used such benefits, employees assume the worst. In many cases, silence creates more anxiety than clear communication ever would.

What are the real consequences for workers and employers when people avoid using disability benefits when they really need them?
For employees who choose delay rest An unmanaged health problem can turn into a much more serious condition. Our surveys show that when income stagnates, workers often rely on credit cards, cut back on food, delay medical care, or borrow money from friends and family. These are the types of decisions that can have lasting financial consequences even after you return to work.

There are also costs for employers. Presenteeism, when employees continue to work while physically or mentally unwell, can reduce productivity, increase errors, lengthen recovery times, and contribute to burnout and turnover.

By helping employees recover earlier, companies not only improve outcomes for their employees, but also strengthen their own performance.

Where are employers going wrong today when communicating disability or income protection benefits?
Many organizations communicate benefits as paper rather than practical resources. Employees receive lengthy enrollment materials internally or at open enrollment, but rarely hear about disability coverage again unless they already face a medical event. At that point, they are often stressed, overwhelmed and trying to navigate unfamiliar systems during an already difficult time.

With nearly half of our respondents saying their employer doesn’t actively communicate about disability or income protection benefits, it’s easy to see how the information gap is developing. In the absence of clear communication, misconceptions replace facts, and workers underestimate their entitlement to benefits and the support available to them.

What does effective beneficial education look like in practice: are employers doing it right?
Organizations that do this well treat benefits education as an ongoing process rather than a once-a-year event. They provide clear, easy-to-understand information throughout the year, train managers to connect employees with available resources, and use realistic scenarios to help employees understand what disability coverage is like before they ever need to use it.

Even the most effective business leaders normalize these conversations. Instead of treating disability leave as a strange or uncomfortable issue, they present it alongside parental leave, mental health resources, and wellness programs. This helps employees see disability benefits as a regular part of a healthy workplace, rather than only used as a last resort.

If you had to choose one change employers could make right now, what would most improve understanding and confidence in disability benefits?
I would make manager education a higher priority. Employees are more likely to reach out to their direct supervisors than to log into an HR portal, so it’s imperative that managers understand the benefits of disabilities well enough to connect their team members with the right resources without creating stigma or uncertainty.

When employees receive consistent, supportive messages from managers throughout the year, not just during enrollment season, everyone benefits. It builds trust, increases confidence in available resources and encourages employees to seek help when they need it. In many cases, this has a greater impact than adding another benefit to the package.